Sunday, January 20, 2013

How do the Amish shop? Thrifty tips to stretch your dollars


Before I knew any Amish folks, I had an advantage to thrifty shopping, since my mom and dad were both first-generation Italian/Croatian, respectively. When you see through the eyes of a foreigner, so to speak, you see the materialism and entitlement mentality that many Americans have. As my Italian grandma used to say if I wanted something big, “Hey Kad, you think you something-a special, uh?”

When I had four kids under the age of seven living in rural Upstate New York, I met many Amish, and became close with Harry and Katie Hershberger. He had a variety store attached to his house, being wheelchair bound, and we shopped there regularly. What struck me right off the bat was there was no pressure whatsoever from Harry to buy something. This is so simple, but hard to live by. We’re always bombarded with advertisements, but the Amish pay in cash, and know a penny only goes so far.

 One day, after picking Katie’s brain for cost effective recipes, she mentioned their food co-op. It was an “Amish only” closed bulk store. Instead of showing a card to get in, I was to say, “Harry and Katie sent me.” I’ll never forget our first visit. I had all four kids in tow, and we walked into the store behind an Amish house, and all eyes landed on me, full of suspicion. “Harry and Katie sent me,” I quickly said, and with relaxed faces and smiles, they welcomed us in. You see, a co-op is a lot of work for a few people, to benefit the Amish community. I didn’t contribute to their communal way of living and was about to reap its benefits, but that’s how much a real friendship with an Amish family is valued. I learned later we were called “Trusted English Friends.”

Back to shopping. My jaw dropped when I saw all the prices in this co-op. C-H-E-A-P. The Amish don’t believe in price gouging, but helping each other save. The women in the store give out recipes: cost saving recipes. The Amish collect these recipes, and try other ways of making it better with less money, as if it were an art form. My favorite to this day is making granola. The Amish put in everything edible but the kitchen hand pump, mix in gooey brown sugar syrup, and consume it. “The kids don’t know there’s stale cereal in there,” they’d say. Well, I tried it, and it works. J

 So, the Amish work hard to help each other save money, and we can do the same. When I see an item majorly on sale, I text people in my “co-op” and ask if they need any. When I go up to Smicksburg to Lydia dry good store, I contact my “co-op” and buy for them. They do the same, when they see a sale.

 I can’t really write this little article if I didn’t bring in the Amish love of Wal-Mart. If you ever want to see Amish people, go to a rural Wal-Mart! It’s so fun to watch them. They don’t go often, maybe once a month, but do they ever stock-up. There’s a bus from Smicksburg, PA to Indiana, PA, fifteen miles away, just to take the Amish to Wal-Mart once a month. I was at Lydia’s after one of her Wal-Mart sprees, and she and her husband were lit up and very animated. “Do you know how cheap it is to get walnuts at Wal-Mart?” they asked with glee, skipping around the kitchen, putting their groceries away. I had to hold back the laughter. The Amish really think it’s fun to save money.

Fun to save? Why? Like I said, when you pay cash for everything, you know there’s a limit, right? So, it’s almost like a game to them as to how much they can get with their dollars. I think there’s a real joy in a goal that’s met, too.

One thing that may shock you is that the Amish also attend garage sales, flea markets, second-hand stores and auctions. I saw a group of Amish women at my local Salvation Army. Of course, they weren’t buying clothes, but books to devour or household items, such as dishes, pots and pans etc. Many people wouldn’t be caught dead in a Goodwill of Salvation Army, but not me. I learned early in life from my Italian grandma, “I’m not something-a too special.” And since we pay cash now, too, I get really excited to see how I can stretch a dollar.

 Inside Lydia's dry-goods store. Most Amish co-ops and/or dry-goods stores look similar. What they have in common are prices around 2/3rds cheaper than retail stores, and healthy organic items.

18 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading and laughing through it. I think in this day and times more of this needs to happen so that everyone could survive a little easier and happier

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  2. That was a nice intresting story..I'm not above to go to second hand stores, goodwill, or garage sales..Someone junk always someone else's treasure!

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  3. We should all be as thrifty as the amish. I think I am in way, but in ways I'm not.

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  4. Thanks for sharing we have a bulk Amish food store in Dalton, WI. I love to shop there when I can get up there.

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  5. Thanks for leaving a comment. I love talking about my Italian grandma. She was so funny! She could never pronounce my name, so she called me Kad or Kaden. When I named my son, Jeremy, she gasped and asked, "How's come you name him-a after Germany???" I said, "Grandma, I'm saying JEREMY!" She said, "That'sa what I say. Germany!"

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  6. Hi Karen,

    I loved your stories! As an avid couponer, I have an appreciation for saving money on everything.

    Our community has a large Mennonite population. Occasionally, I see Old Order Mennonites shopping at a local thrift store.

    We should compare notes someday about saving and coupons. :)

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  7. Thanks for sharing. I use coupons and buy things on sale. i visit our goodwill and salvation army 2 or 3 times a month. i also yard sale of the summer. especially church yard sales is where i find bargains.

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  8. I loved this post.I have to do all I can to stretch my dollars.I love Goodwill,thrift stores,yard sales,flea markets and any where I can find a bargain.I loved reading this and the comments.I love to hear how to save and stretch dollars.Thanks

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  9. Loved reading this story. We usually pay cash for our groceries and try to find as many sale item as we can. Love going to yard sales and good will stores as well.

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  10. Karen,
    It's always great to read about one of my favorite places...Conewango Valley. Over the last twenty years I have driven the back roads of the area and have cultivated many Amish friends. Even tho I have not heard the term "Trusted English friend" I hope that this is what they call me. I have been blessed to be included in family meals..."sit down and eat" I have been told many times. On many occasions I have spent the night...what am honor. Thanks for your story, because it is my story also.
    Tom backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/

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  11. This is beautiful.I live in Texas and work in our churches food bank handing out food to those in need once a month and it is governed by the state for some reason ,,but the division of bulk food like in the picture is not allowed because of sanitary reasons and I understand that but my goodness, seems to me we could get by cheaper buying in bulk and leaving out those who want to govern,but it keeps down those wanting to sue over every little think even if the food is free.

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  12. I love your blog! I enjoy watching the Amish pile their carts high in Ephrata, PA. Thanks for sharing what you have learned from our gentle friends.

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  14. I loved reading this and have recently started buying with cash. Even have a milk money jar in the kitchen to buy the things we need for the week, if we run out. My dream is to someday own a store that carters to the Amish in our area. Flea markets are non existing on our area to, but what a great idea to have one....

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  15. I LOVE flea markets, Good Will, thrift shops, etc. My grandmother, also an Italian Immigrant, taught us to be thrifty, my Aunt, also from Italy told us about how she and her girlfriends would collect wool scraps for them ladies knitting in the park and make head scarves during WWII. When embroidered flowered jeans were so popular and costly in the early 70's, my aunt would draw the flowers for us on plain jeans and we would embroider the flowers. Same look 1/4 of the price.

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  16. What a lovely blog you have. I have to come back an read more another day. It's almoust midnight here in Finland. God bless.

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  17. I grew up in PA, and used to taxi-drive for Amish. You are correct that they love to shop at Walmart! Also, I used to love going to their bulk food stores (but was not ever invited into a co-op. Way to go there!)

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