Where I live, I am not very far from some of the country's largest Amish communities. The Amish are a fascinating group of people that choose to live simply, away for modern conveniences and temptations. Under the guidance of a gentlemen named Ammen, this religious sect broke away from the mainstream church in Europe several hundred years ago. The Amish survived religious and political persecution, yet they are sadly still targeted by ignorant bullies. Today, Amish communities can be found in 22 of the 50 states and in several nations of the world. The Amish epitomize frugal living, therefore I am adopting some of their ideas for my frugal lifestyle.
* Live Simply - This is the motto of the Amish. Although it is hard for my husband to grasp, it is possible to live without cable TV, satellite dishes, home computers and expensive home entertainment systems. The Amish people get along just fine without them. Our own grandparents didn't grow up with this high-tech toys and they managed to muddle through...and even recall their childhood with positive memories. If you truly want to live frugally, you must determine what your needs and wants are. Surprisingly, many of the things we consider to be needs are actually wants. If you don't need it, don't get it. It is as simple as that.
* One With the Earth - The Amish feel that you are closer to God when you work in God's soil, therefore you will find that many Amish people are farmers. Tragically, the American farm is a dying thing. But you can reap the benefits without acquiring hundreds of acres of prime farmland. With a small corner of your lot, you can cultivate a successful vegetable garden that will help cut your grocery bills. Corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, pumpkins and more are easy to grow and truly taste better than store bought produce. Amish farms traditionally have a root cellar to store such items as potatoes, yams and onions. While you probably don't have a root cellar, you can still store home-grown potatoes and onions for several months in a cool, dry place like a basement.
The Amish people also can home-grown food in preparation for the winter months. Canning is a lost art that can also save you quite a bit on your grocery bill. Last summer, I canned a ton of tomatoes. Grandpa Harris thought he would be helpful and planted a dozen tomato plants in our garden for us. We hate tomatoes, but we didn't have the
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