{"id":18428,"date":"2021-12-16T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/?p=18428"},"modified":"2025-06-23T11:51:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:51:42","slug":"6-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-amish-and-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/6-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-amish-and-money\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Things You Might Not Know About the Amish and Money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Guest<\/em> <em>Post by Erik Wesner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#amish-and-money\">Amish and Money<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#barter\">Barter<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#shopping\">Shopping<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#loans-and-borrowing\">Loans and Borrowing<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#youth\">Youth<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#wealth\">Wealth<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#mutual-aid\">Mutual Aid<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#block-0ce039af-a7a5-4ce4-8c1b-755c0116fa12\">Learn More About the Amish<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite some depictions of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/category\/about-the-amish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Amish<\/a> as isolated, outdated and old-fashioned, Amish are in fact &#8220;plugged-in&#8221; to the economy and business world in a number of ways. So let&#8217;s have a look at some common questions on the Amish and money-like: Where do Amish do their shopping? Do they barter? How do they buy homes and fund businesses? Are there Amish millionaires?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"amish-and-money\">Amish and Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"barter\">Barter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contrary to what some might think, the Amish don&#8217;t do a lot of old-fashioned bartering and trading. They use dollars when buying things from one another, and from non-Amish sources alike. Amish have checking accounts, and some even use credit cards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some Amish might trade or barter on a limited scale, it&#8217;s not the way Amish generally conduct business. Amish adults and married couples typically have checking accounts, and this form of payment is very common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"shopping\">Shopping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Amish buy things and do their shopping at a variety of sources, including local Amish shops which cater to a Plain clientele (eg, dry goods or variety stores carrying Amish-appealing home goods, bulk foods stores, or fabric shops selling materials for dresses and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-clothing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">clothing<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also buy things from non-Amish sources like grocery stores, convenience marts, and superstores like Wal-Mart and Costco. Large non-Amish retailers offer bulk sizes and attractive prices which are both a draw for large Amish families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"loans-and-borrowing\">Loans and Borrowing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying a home or starting up a business, Amish people will make use of several sources of capital. Traditional bank loans are a common way that Amish people finance a home purchase or fund a new business. Amish clients are generally considered to be very attractive banking customers due to their reputation for hard work and dependability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the Amish also have other sources of funding. In some communities, Amish-run lending funds will provide capital to members of the community for a first home or a business at favorable rates. Also, traditionally, a father will help his sons in acquiring a farm. However, in some communities, Lancaster County, PA is a good example, the price of land has become prohibitive, and young aspiring farmers may be forced to move to areas where land is cheaper.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"youth\">Youth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While living at home, Amish youth will contribute their work earnings to the family budget. Parents will typically save a percentage of those funds, which the child will have access to after reaching age 21. Amish young people typically live at home until they marry and set up their own home, which allows them to accumulate funds for their first homes and make a strong financial start as a young family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wealth\">Wealth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Amish people have become quite wealthy. Often this is due to successful businesses including woodworking and construction. It&#8217;s harder to tell who the Amish millionaires are, however, since status symbols are less visible (to the non-Amish eye, at least). Amish will invest their money in property, horses, business, or even mutual funds and stocks in the more progressive communities.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mutual-aid\">Mutual Aid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Amish are not a communist society. Each Amish household is independent in a financial sense, and Amish people may compete with one another in business and other ways. However, there is a strong community ethic, and the church community helps provide and support those who have fallen into financial hardship (typically due to things such as large medical bills or disasters such as fires destroying homes, barns or businesses). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amish practice mutual aid motivated by a spirit of Christian love for one&#8217;s neighbor. Additionally, Amish often hold benefit auctions to fund community needs such as school benefits, or to help raise money for hospital bills larger than the community can reasonably handle. <br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Erik Wesner<\/em><\/strong><em> runs the <a href=\"https:\/\/amishamerica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">amishamerica.com<\/a> website and also the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/AmishAmerica\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Amish America YouTube channel<\/a>. His book <\/em>Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive<em> is a behind-the-scenes look into the world of Amish business through the experiences of 60 Amish entrepreneurs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-0ce039af-a7a5-4ce4-8c1b-755c0116fa12\">Learn More About the Amish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-9cd24d91-589c-4b73-a590-5077fa9df46a\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-types-of-amish\/\">Different Types of Amish<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-beliefs\/\">Amish Beliefs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-clothing\/\">Amish Clothing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/do-amish-own-guns\/\">Can The Amish Use Guns<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/6-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-amish-and-money\/\">6 Things You Might Not Know About the Amish and Money<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-families\/\">Amish Families<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-transportation\/\">Amish Transportation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-church\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Church<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Businesses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish History<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-amish-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Children<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-misconceptions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Misconceptions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pennsylvania Dutch &#8211; the Amish Language<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/what-the-amish-read\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What the Amish Read<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/everything-you-want-to-know-about-the-amish-and-technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Amish and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-wedding-traditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Wedding Traditions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/guest-post-where-the-amish-people-live\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Places You Didn\u2019t Expect to See Amish People<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/10-ways-amish-people-travel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 Ways Amish People Travel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-games-and-entertainment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amish Games and Entertainment\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n  <div class=\"related-post slider\">\r\n        <div class=\"headline\">Related Posts<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"post-list owl-carousel\">\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"What Language do the Amish Speak?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\">\r\n        What Language do the Amish Speak?  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"What Language do the Amish Speak?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2240\" height=\"1260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"What language do the Amish speak?\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch.jpg 2240w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Amish-Language-Pennsylvania-Dutch-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2240px) 100vw, 2240px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    This post was originally published on July 25th, 2013. It was updated on January 30th, 2025. If you have spoken <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/pennsylvania-dutch-the-amish-language\/?related_post_from=613\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\">\r\n        Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"Cherry Wood Furniture-The Lowdown\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"1124\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"CHERRY WOOD INFOGRAPHIC\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC.png 794w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC-211x300.png 211w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/CHERRY-WOOD-INFOGRAPHIC-723x1024.png 723w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    You Put Cherries On Top For A Reason! Why cherry wood? There are so many wood choices, is there really <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/put-a-cherry-on-top\/?related_post_from=915\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\">\r\n        Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"Amish Recipe: Apple Sponge Pudding\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\">\r\n\r\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"amish recipe: apple sponge pudding\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop.png 600w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/APPLE-SPONGE-PUDDINGcrop-580x870.png 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    In which I use far too many italics, and redefine \"pudding.\" I just plain do not understand how this is <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/amish-recipe-apple-sponge-pudding\/?related_post_from=1405\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n              <div class=\"item\">\r\n          \r\n  <a class=\"title post_title\"  title=\"One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/entryway-table\/?related_post_from=1422\">\r\n        One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles  <\/a>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"thumb post_thumb\">\r\n    <a  title=\"One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/entryway-table\/?related_post_from=1422\">\r\n\r\n              <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" title=\"One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles\" alt=\"One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles\">\r\n\r\n      \r\n\r\n    <\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <p class=\"excerpt post_excerpt\">\r\n    This blog post was updated on December 28, 2018 with new entryway table designs. It (almost) goes without saying: Your <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/entryway-table\/?related_post_from=1422\"> Read more<\/a>  <\/p>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n      \r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <script>\r\n      <\/script>\r\n  <style>\r\n    .related-post {}\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list {\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item {\r\n      margin: 10px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .headline {\r\n      font-size: 18px !important;\r\n      color: #999999 !important;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_title {\r\n      font-size: 16px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_thumb {\r\n      max-height: 220px;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .post-list .item .post_excerpt {\r\n      font-size: 13px;\r\n      color: #3f3f3f;\r\n      margin: 10px 0px;\r\n      padding: 0px;\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-decoration: none;\r\n          }\r\n\r\n    .related-post .owl-dots .owl-dot {\r\n          }\r\n\r\n      <\/style>\r\n      <script>\r\n      jQuery(document).ready(function($) {\r\n        $(\".related-post .post-list\").owlCarousel({\r\n          items: 3,\r\n          responsiveClass: true,\r\n          responsive: {\r\n            0: {\r\n              items: 1,\r\n            },\r\n            768: {\r\n              items: 2,\r\n            },\r\n            1200: {\r\n              items: 3,\r\n            }\r\n          },\r\n                      rewind: true,\r\n                                loop: true,\r\n                                center: true,\r\n                                autoplay: true,\r\n            autoplayHoverPause: true,\r\n                                nav: true,\r\n            navSpeed: 1000,\r\n            navText: ['<i class=\"fas fa-chevron-left\"><\/i>', '<i class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i>'],\r\n                                dots: true,\r\n            dotsSpeed: 1200,\r\n                                                    rtl: false,\r\n          \r\n        });\r\n      });\r\n    <\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Guest Post by Erik Wesner Despite some depictions of the Amish as isolated, outdated and old-fashioned, Amish are in fact &#8220;plugged-in&#8221; to the economy and business world in a number of ways. So let&#8217;s have a look at some common questions on the Amish and money-like: Where do Amish do their shopping? Do they barter? How do they buy homes and fund businesses? Are there Amish millionaires? Amish and Money Barter Contrary to what some&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  One Entryway Table, Three Home Styles<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":18436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1429,1433,179],"tags":[1995,1994,1684,1996],"class_list":["post-18428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-the-amish","category-amish-questions-answered","category-older","tag-about-the-amish","tag-amish-and-money","tag-amish-people","tag-questions-about-amish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18428"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26777,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18428\/revisions\/26777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}