🌾 10 Thrifty Amish Habits That Can Help You Save Big (Even in Town)
Living near Amish and Mennonite families has opened my eyes to how simple, practical choices can dramatically lower expenses. You don’t have to give up modern life to borrow their wisdom — just lean into what works.
Here are some powerful, real-world money savers inspired by Amish living:
🔥 1. Alternative Heating (Wood Over Wires)
Instead of relying fully on electric or gas heat, a wood cook stove can:
Heat your home
Cook your meals
Bake bread
💡 Free or low-cost wood sources:
Standing dead trees
Helping others clear trees (keep the wood)
Slab/scrap wood from mills
This can slash winter heating bills dramatically.
🌿 2. Smart Cooling Without AC
Amish homes often avoid air conditioning. Instead:
🪟 Open windows at night, close in the morning
🌳 Plant shade trees and vines
🧵 Use blackout curtains
🍳 Cook outdoors in summer
These simple habits can reduce summer energy costs significantly.
🍞 3. Bake From Scratch
Bread. Muffins. Cakes. Snacks.
Baking at home:
Saves serious money
Avoids preservatives
Tastes better
And once you learn, it becomes second nature.
🍲 4. Cook Budget Meals That Stretch
Soup is the ultimate thrifty meal:
🥕 Uses leftover produce
🍖 Broth from bones & scraps
🍞 Feeds the family for days
Cooking from scratch keeps grocery costs lower and reduces waste.
🕯️ 5. Use Natural Light & Candles
Instead of flipping every switch:
☀️ Use daylight through windows
🕯️ Beeswax candles at night
🌙 Softer, calmer lighting
Less electricity. Lower bills. Cozy atmosphere.
🧼 6. Make Your Own Household Staples
The Amish often make:
Soap
Candles
Clothing
Laundry soap
🧺 Example: Homemade laundry soap
One bar grated
Dissolved in hot water
Stored in a 5-gallon bucket
Lasts up to 2 years
Costs about $12
That’s months (or years) of savings.
🌱 7. Grow As Much Food As You Can
Even in town, you can:
🍎 Plant fruit trees
🫐 Grow berries
🌿 Use patio pots
🌻 Grow in front yards
Food straight from your yard = ultra-local, fresh, and cost-effective.
🌾 8. Save Seeds
Learning to save seeds means:
Fewer purchases
Long-term food security
True self-reliance
It’s a small skill with big payoff.
💧 9. Wash Smarter
Cold water washing:
Saves electricity
Works just fine
Extends clothing life
Sometimes we’ve been convinced we “need” more than we really do.
🧠 10. Mindset Over Modern Convenience
The biggest lesson isn’t about wood stoves or soap.
It’s this:
💡 Do it yourself when possible.
💡 Avoid unnecessary convenience.
💡 Stretch what you already have.
That mindset alone can allow families to live comfortably on one income.
🌼 Final Thought
You don’t have to live fully off-grid to apply these ideas. Even adopting two or three of these habits can lower your monthly bills and increase your independence.
Simple living isn’t about deprivation —
it’s about intentional choices.
And those choices add up.