Book Review: Money Secrets Of The Amish

As a member of BookSneeze, I am able to request free books from time to time that I agree to read and review on my site.  Most of my book reviewing takes place over at my other blog Let's Read For Free, but this book was so fitting for this site that I thought I would share it here!

The book that I chose to review is called Money Secrets Of The Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, And Saving by Lorilee Cracker.

Now before I get into this review, let me just say that this is one of my very favorite authors because of her humorous series of parenting books (the first I read was called "See How They Run: An Energizing Guide To Keeping Up With Your Turbo Toddler" and it was at that point that I decided that she had my child-now children-in male form).

So, because I was so familiar with this line of her books, I was a bit confused to hear that she was spending time amongst the Amish doing research for a new book.  I couldn't imagine it would be anything that would interest me, but boy was I wrong!

Now I've read a ton of frugal/couponing/money saving books, and after a few of them, you begin to think that you've heard it all.  This is one of those books that no matter how frugal you are, you're going to feel you've been downright extravagant!

It's not just about saving money, either!  The stories that she weaves in, as well as her style of humor make this an incredibly enjoyable read.

The book talks about many things from not wasting, to repairing, to making your own, or buying used.  One of the saying repeated throughout the book was "use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!"  I think that sometimes we are far too quick to run off to the store to buy a new version of product X when something goes wrong with it without stopping to consider if it can be mended, sold, or if it is truly even a necessary item to own.

I was especially fond of the chapters on rethinking gifts and de-spoiling the children, in this "Christmas" season that seems to turn our children in materialistic little toy gluttons!

One of my favorite quotes from this books was:

"The first time I came home from a research trip...I walked into my messy house, and my three cherubs shot toward me in a frenzy of greed, wanting to know what souvenirs I had bought them....I thought of the Amish children...(one) about  two and a half, stood on a step-stool, plunging dirty forks and spoons into hot, soapy water...I thought of little Moses, playing contentedly with wooden toys in a recycled ice cream bucket....My kids were rooting through my luggage like crazed baboons, looking for something shiny.  Clearly, I had failed miserably to impart either a work ethic or a sense of self-control."

Now I'm not saying we should all go to  the same extremes that the Amish do, but the main point that came across to me over and over was their contentment.  I think that anyone who reads this will realize that there are at least a couple areas of spending in their lives that they could do better on.  In fact, I'm planning on reading through it a second time in the new year and challenge myself to try a few new things.

Have any of you read this book?  What were your thoughts?