Money Secrets of the Amish by: Lorilee Craker

During this time of recession, everyone is tightening their belts.  Many people have lost half or more of their incomes while watching prices for gas, food, and other necessities rise quickly.  The Amish have weathered the storm far better than the rest of us.  Why?  Many of the things that our depression era grandparents knew and practiced are still practiced by the Amish.  

Mrs.Craker spent time with the Amish, learning and trying to understand how it is that they manage to not only survive but thrive in this economy. How is that a culture who not only doesn’t hold money in the same high regard as most but also who earns so little  still manage to have enough money to provide for their needs. She shares the insights she learned from her interviews with Amish men, women, and children. She even shares insights from an interview with a banker who deals with mostly Amish clients. I really enjoyed how she not shares what she has learned but also the ways she herself has implemented  those practices into her own life.
  
One of the biggest practices I learned from this book is that Amish children are taught from birth about being frugal and learning how to make do with the things you already have. It is something I hope that I can teach my own children in an effort to help ease the money burden and worry. We spent so much time worrying about having enough money to get the new toy we want that we forget about the old toys that are still in great condition. I grew up very differently from my children. We were a large family and had the things we needed and learned to wait for the things we wanted. We didn’t get a toy every time we went to the store and it didn’t kill us. In fact we are better adults better things weren’t handed to us freely.

If you are just starting your journey of thrift and saving then this book is the perfect place to start. It helps you get in the right mind-set for the changes that you will be making. It will also inspire you to make other changes as well.

Rita’s Rating:
I have to give it my highest rating. A must read!!