Here are a few money-saving ideas inspired by the Amish lifestyle.
Grow and preserve your own food
It can be such a treat of awesome fulfillment when we know that the food that we are eating are from our own farm. With so many genetically modified organisms on the shelves these days, we often wonder which are food and which are not. And we even find that we are not getting that wonderful tasting oomph from some of the foods we are used to and love so much. If we can manage to grow and preserve our own fruits and vegetables we will not only live healthier but we will save so much money too. Imagine not having to buy things such as milk, eggs, apples , mangoes, broccoli and so on. What a wonderful way to live.
Cook from Scratch
Let us bear in mind that the labor, the ambiance, the electricity and the taxes that a restaurant come with will all be charged to us when we eat out. Sure it is quite convenient, and nothing is wrong with that. But are we really in the position to be taking on all of that expense? No one can know that more than you. But if you are in the position where you want to save some cash and find the right time to splurge on fine dining, cooking from home may come in very handy.
Use Clothes Lines
Our laundry will be locked up in its place for all of the times it is not on our bodies. So for a fresher laundry you could let it get some well needed breeze after they are washed. This in turn will save on electricity bills.
Reduce Time In Front of the Screen
If we can find a way to have more fun playing lets say board games, soccer, soft ball, football, base ball and other fun and exciting things instead of watching out days away on the screens, we may save same money and somehow in the process get more healthy. Not everyone may agree bur research has shown that even three minutes of raised heart rate- that is when we exercise- com reduce stress levels. Physical activities can truly be helpful.
Preserve Food by Canning
Whether we plant them or buy them at the local market. If we can find out how to preserve foods when they are in season and cheap, it can be such a big advantage for us when they go out of season and get expensive. As a matter of fact, if we can do some great fruit jams, jellies and pickles, not only can we survive well – but we sell some of them and create a business. Lots of these canning businesses started from home and exploded based on demand.
Buy In Bulk
Sometimes we find it easier to do this when we are expecting a disaster. But it can be quiet advantageous to load up on some non-perishable and semi-perishables once we know that we will use them up before they go bad.
Sewing Your Own Clothing
Too often we are concerned about brand name clothing and it is not necessarily soothing on our budget. The Amish buy cloth and everything is custom built to fit each individual. So for the price of a name brand, they spend time making their own and saving money on what most of us call a better brand. Something to think about right.
Develop Skills Of your Own- It goes a far way
Most people in the modern are not trained with a skill, they take pride in having a profession and living sophisticated and hands off- nothing is really wrong with this when you can make your money talk for you. By all means if you can pay your way, go ahead and do so. But if you are in a position where you are not yet comfortable with paying fro everything to be done for you, it would do great to learn some smart skills that may cost you a fortune in times when it is needed. Like fixing things on a car- YouTube has tons of tutorials on how to master fixing cars. Fixing pipes, stoves, AC units etc. These can cost quiet a bit- learn how- save some money.
Recycle And Re-use
A lot of money is thrown into the garbage bin on a daily basis. We can save seeds from many fruits and vegetables and sell them back to farmers if we do not plant them ourselves. We can re-use plastic bottles for planters, use old towels for making dryer sheets, make compost heaps to feed plants and so much more. The idea of recycling ans reusing is to save money and in the process we may even be able to make some extra cash.
Save More Than You Spend And Invest Habitually
When money comes into our hands, we are blessed with lots of opportunities to do whatever we want, many people will read this and say they have bills and fees and taxes to pay so they do not have so much options. But the truth of the matter is that it is your money. You make the decisions. If you were to be out of a job or go broke and still have bills- you would still be living. So make powerful money decisions when money comes into your hands. Saving on purpose is the best way to reach a goal. So every time money comes into your hands and you put away 10 % for investment for example, you will be this close to reaching that investment goal.
On that same note, it is highly recommended to find good ways to invest your money. It could be in education, skill training, farming, having a mentor, and so on. The main aim of all people should be to improve themselves so that they can enhance others and the younger generations will always be much better off.
Nay Sprague says
Yes they do live humbly and they have a lot of means to save money, but they are also very good at coming up with ways to make money as well. Besides farming, the amish where I live sell produce, jam, honey, and baked good at roadside stands. They also sell flowers and veggies in their own greenhouses. They make furniture and hire themselves out as laborers with local contractors. And they own and operate their own wood mills to make lumber and sell the scraps to people needing wood for the winter. They also make lots of quilts to auction off in the Spring. They save their money for the purpose of buying up local farms that come onto the market for their children so as they marry and start families, they don’t have to go into debt to buy their own place.
Sharon Shaw says
Lehman’s store in Ohio Amish country has a lot of Amish specialty products: canning eqipment, gardening, natural personal products. Check it online.