Money Secrets of the Amish
Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
I recently read an unusual stewardship book titled Money Secrets of the Amish. While not written from a spiritual perspective, it was humorous, poignant, and at times, jarring.
Here are some of the nuggets I enjoyed:
- The truth that transcends Plain and Fancy: chasing after money and things is meaningless, because the best things in life are free.
- How is it the Amish got the memo about debt being dumb, and we Fancy, advanced Englishers are mucked up to our eyeballs in it?
- The Amish are brilliant at telling the difference between a want and a need.
I especially like that last one. What else do our children need to know about money? As a parent of two boys, I’ve experienced my share of challenges trying to help them learn contentment and good financial management. Now, the next generation has started (granddaughter Ariella born in November) and I’ll try to lovingly help her parents do the same.
Author Lorilee Craker offers a six-pronged “de-spoiling” plan for use with your children:
- Teach them contentment with what they already have.
- Show them how to hunt out savings and freebies.
- Help them distinguish between wants and needs.
- Say no with some regularity.
- Encourage delayed gratification.
- Teach them that hard work won’t kill them, and is probably really, really good for them.
Which ones of these are you modelling for your children or grandchildren? Which might you improve upon in 2020? Our children and grandchildren will be watching!
Written by Jon C. Wiebe