Click Here To Purchase Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving

Author: Lorilee Cracker

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 978-15955-5341-6

New York Times best-selling author, Lorilee Cracker has put together a money management book from an interesting perspective, that of the money secrets of the Amish. In Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving, Cracker informs her readers in her introduction that she has always been attracted to the Amish and their gentle, otherworldly ways, and this is probably due to her Mennonite heritage. She further states that when she researched the Amish she found their culture to be serene, simple, and rooted in centuries past and this held surprising financial wisdom for her, and as she dug deeper she realized “that these Plain people could teach me a thing or two about money, and what I could do, not only to hold on for dear life during this recession, but to actually thrive.”

The topics covered in Money Secrets of the Amish are nothing new and there have been umpteen books devoted to the same subject matter dealing with such themes as paying bills on time, purchasing second-hand clothes and furniture, delaying gratification and avoiding conspicuous consumption, purchasing in bulk, saving, practical gift giving, not giving in to your children's whims, bartering, economical food preparation, and recycling. Although my late mother was not born with any Amish genes, she probably would have been quite at home with their philosophy and approach to money management-something that she had thankfully passed down to me. However, this is not to say that the book is useless, it certainly can prove to be an invaluable teacher for those readers who are spendthrifts and who haven't a clue as to how to save a dollar.

If we look to the chapter concerning delayed gratification, and although the principles may not be the best remedy for our ailing economy, it nonetheless drives home an important principle, avoid frittering away money on impulsive buying. Cracker proffers sound advice when she advises us to think about what kinds of impulsive purchases fool us on a regular basis. And to do this, we should check our bank statements and see how much money we have wasted on objects we don't really need.

If you are into secondhand shopping, the chapter dealing with this topic can prove to be quite an eye-opener as Cracker demonstrates how the Amish refuse to pay retail and how they save a great deal of money by tracking down thrift and secondhand stores, consignment shops, and garage sales. The trick is to know how to shop in these different venues and not end up with useless purchases that in the end will not save you money. You know the old saying, it is not a bargain if you don't need it.

The advice concerning the fixing of household appliances rather than throwing them out has some merit, although some of the prices Cracker quotes for her repairs seem a tad unbelievable. I would love to have these repairmen in Montreal, where I live. The last time we asked someone to repair our eight year-old washing machine, the price quoted was ridiculous. Sometimes you may be penny wise and pound foolish to follow this advice.

I must admit I found the tips concerning shopping in your own closet before throwing out clothes quite useful. In fact, I even ran to my closest and, as suggested, organized my clothes by type such as pants, shirts, etc. I didn't know I had so many pairs of pants that hardly had been worn! This alone made Money Secrets of the Amish worth reading. I can now avoid the pant section of department stores knowing full well that I really don't need another pair of pants.

Lorilee Cracker has authored eleven books, including the New York Times best seller, Through the Storm with Lynn Spears. She is also an entertainment and features writer for the Grand Rapids Press and has written for magazines such as Parents and Parent and Child.