The Amish lifestyle illuminates that simplicity and freedom that many of us crave on some level, whether we recognize it or not.
Amish families and communities thrive off of a more primitive lifestyle than the culture that surrounds them. Even though the Amish life is not the norm in society today, living as the Amish do can drastically improve your life in numerous ways.
Not only will you be able to save an abundance of money with this fugal lifestyle, but you can also obtain a much healthier environment for you and your family while being almost independent.
If you are on a mission to have an off-grid, Amish lifestyle and be self-resilient as much as possible, then here are 10 of the best ways to help you achieve that goal.
1. Work on Diversifying Your Skills
If you want to rely on mostly yourself, then you must start with working on your skills. The Amish possess many skills that naturally save them money.
For example, they sew their own clothes, preserve their own food, construct their own buildings, and make their own furniture.
Now, you do not need to learn to build a house per say, but knowing how to fix common household issues such as a leaky sink will save on having to call a professional for help.
That mixed with other handy skills like sewing can do wonders for your frugal living mission.
2. Only Pay in Cash
The Amish stay far away from credit cards and are debt-free, and it is highly suggested that you follow this method too. These folks work for what they need and pay for it entirely in cash.
They never have to worry about credit cards or paying back interests that can cause debt-related challenges.
Though it can be hard to let go of the instant gratification that you can get with credit cards, put that aside and look at the bigger picture of how much you can save if you just wait a bit longer to have the cash in hand. Though waiting can be hard, in the end, you will be much happier and richer.
3. Avoid Lifestyle Inflation
One of the most notable ways that the Amish manage their money is by avoiding lifestyle inflation. With the average American generally splurging on new and rising technology and gadgets, the Amish willingly hold back, because they usually do not care about those things.
They are not persuaded by colorful advertising campaigns with the fear of missing out on something like many others do.
Instead, they keep their head clear and eyes on the bigger picture, which is only purchasing goods that are made to last rather than collecting items that will need to be replaced after a few years, such as an iPad.
As part of your frugal living goal, only buying things that have longevity like the Amish do is ideal.
4. Buy in Bulk
If you do have to go to a store for any reason, always buy your items in bulk if possible. You will save both time and money by doing this.
Buying bulk items also allows you to take much fewer trips to the store, meaning you will save on gas money as well as time.
In addition, bulk items tend to be priced at a discounted rate, so even if you have to pay a bit more upfront, you will be saving money in the long run.
5. Be Green
Going green not only drastically helps the environment, but it will also radically improve your overall health while not taking a massive tole on your wallet.
It is a widespread initiative to go green all across America, and the Amish do this very well. If you can live with a rigorous lifestyle without electricity and rely on firewood and gaslighting, then that is great.
But since that is not entirely easy to do, you can always make positive impacts by commuting less, recycling everything, and reducing waste as much as you can.
Something as simple as washing your dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher will help you save money and reduce energy consumption.
6. Simplify Your Life
Simplicity is the key to understanding that you do not need most of what most of society is marketing to you. You do not need an extravagant wardrobe, the fanciest car or the most prominent house.
All of those things are luxuries that you do not need and can live without. Downsizing your car, home, and reducing your excess spending will save you a ton of money that can be saved or used for other meaningful needs.
Realize that you can be sustainable just fine without the pressure to buy into unnecessary living items that modern society deems critical.
7. Cook from Scratch
The Amish are known to be fantastic cooks and bakers. With that being said, cooking your food from scratch from items you grew and harvested yourself is an excellent way to save money and have nothing but the healthiest foods to put in your body.
Furthermore, you could always make some extra cash by selling your homemade goods as well, which is something the Amish do regularly.
8. Consider Solar Panels
The best way to go off-grid for good is to invest in a renewable resource, like the sun, to power your home. Sure, this is not exactly an Amish commonality, and you can live without electricity if you choose to.
However, if the lack of power is not an option for you, the next best thing to do is solar panels. It will be costly to get started, but the return on investment will be worthwhile.
While on this subject, another route you can take is looking into residential wind turbines to decrease your electricity costs each month.
9. Preserve Your Food
The Amish are excellent at many things, and preserving food is certainly one of them. Preserving food that you obtained yourself is ideal to limit the amount of grocery store trips you need to take.
You will not only save money from buying these items in the store, but you will be able to use them when you need to if you preserve them properly to contain freshness. The best way to do this is by both freezing and dehydrating.
10. Use a Clothesline
Do you tend to use a dryer for your clothes a few times a week? If so, consider investing or making your own clothesline to avoid having to use a dryer.
Dryers are helpful, but they can rack up your utility bill, which is something you should be trying to reduce. Since the Amish do not have electric dryers, they use clotheslines instead to meet their needs.
By doing this, you get a free way to dry your clothes while also obtaining a fresh outdoor scent you get to wear.
Ten ways to live frugally like the Amish is a great article and will assist you with saving money and time. 10 Ways to Live Frugally Like the Amish
Instructions
1. Work on Diversifying Your Skills
2. Only Pay in Cash
3. Avoid Lifestyle Inflation
4. Buy in Bulk
5. Be Green
6. Simplify Your Life
7. Cook from Scratch
8. Consider Solar Panels
9. Preserve Your Food
10. Use a Clothesline
The Amish lifestyle is one that we can learn a lot from, especially when it comes to values and saving money.
The Amish are proud of their lifestyle because they work hard for everything they have and are able to do so without help from standard society.
With practice and motivation to encourage this way of living in your home, you can benefit massively from being off-grid and being self-reliant.
Once you are able to depend on nothing but yourself entirely, you will have a new sense of freedom that you cannot achieve in being engrained in modern society.