The Amish use credit cards, too
Filed under: Budgets
The Amish use credit cards, just like the rest of us.If you just know a little of the usual stuff about the Amish, that sounds so hard to believe at first. After all, the Amish are known for living a rather quaint 19th century lifestyle. They drive horses and buggies. They eschew electricity. They don't have telephones or television sets. Surely, they don't use plastic.
But some do. I knew a little about that when I first started working on an article about the Amish, which ran yesterday on CreditCards.com, but until I started talking to some Amish businessmen, I hadn't given their use much thought. Nevertheless, they deal with high interest rates and occasional late fees like the rest of us. Still, their lifestyle does usually protect them from going into massive deep credit card debt, and it's worth thinking about.
- As a general rule, the Amish never buy electronic equipment. They're not out there buying iPods and all of the songs that come with them. They don't have TVs, which means that they're never buying a DVD player or paying for TiVo. Netflix is a meaningless word to the Amish. If you bring up Wii to any Amish, without explaining what you're talking about, you're likely to have a confusing conversation.
- They may find themselves short of money, but not in the way of many families. After all, their funds are never going to an electric bill or a telephone bill, although some I've heard of some Amish who actually have cell phones for reasons of both safety and, yes, convenience.
- The Amish don't have to gas up their cars. High gas prices? Low gas prices? So what? They do, of course, have to be concerned about the cost of hay for their horses, which has been quite high this year.
- The Amish don't have email, which means that they aren't paying for Internet service. They also aren't paying for a Blackberry and its monthly service. They aren't, as a rule, hanging out on the web, and so they aren't paying monthly fees to an online--anything. I mean, I'm a paying member of a couple organizations for journalists, and I impulsively bought a yearly membership with Comics.com after writing about them for WalletPop (until a couple months later when they decided to showcase their comic strips for free).
Not that I'm suggesting anyone become Amish just to save some money, although I ruminated about the idea on WalletPop as one of my first posts back in February. I'm just saying that there are benefits to having a simpler life. In just the last decade alone, many families have added TiVo, Netflix, iPods, DVRs and HDTV, for instance, to their households. My wife wants one of those voice-activated navigation systems for Christmas, one of those GPS devices for cars, which sounds nice and all, but some of those come with monthly subscriptions, and so I'm a bit leery. The devices keep coming along, and so do the costs of keeping and maintaining them.
Really, people shouldn't bargain for cost-of-living raises. When the economy gets on better footing, we should start asking for cost-of-additional-monthly-fees-for-new-technology-into-our-lives raises.
There's something to be said about keeping one foot squarely in the 1800s, at least if it means that you're paying 19th century prices.
Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist and the author of C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America (Rodale).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-19-2008 @ 6:51PM
Mandie said...
Well first of all you don't know much about the Amish, they do have phones and electricty they just hide it from the church so they do not get punished. Also they do buy gas because they are allowed to use gas operated power tools, like a weed whacker, lawn mowers, etc., as long as they are not electric. They do have cars also, trust me I work in the heart of Amish country in PA.They are also not as innocent as everyone believes they are smart n sneaky (to keep the church from knowing). I have amish neighbors who do have electricity they make it loo like they don't by placing lights on the floor so it looks more like a lantern. So next time know the facts first, and most of them will not openly admit to all of this but there are ways to learn this stuff.
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11-20-2008 @ 7:18AM
howard Kromer said...
it appears you are not up on the Amish either,I know for a fact the amish have drivers license as a matter of fact I also know an Amish person that has a class A commercial license, The Amish dose not have a church the meet in homes, The amish also have power tools such as table saws, power saws & ect. that are electric BUT powered with a Gas driven Generator. they also have cell phone and house phone, Dont knock the Amish as they use Electrict in home in A community in Pa. as well as phone in their homes I can furnish some phone numbers when you are in disbeleif
11-20-2008 @ 7:30AM
Jason said...
Mandie, it depends on which order of Amish you are talking about. You have several. Swartzentruber Amish, New Order Amish, as well as multiple variations of other Old Order Amish groups. It all depends on the community and the Ordnung from which they base their particular rules from. I myself have experienced living and worshiping among mostly Mennonite and Old Order Hurst River Brethren groups and congregations as well as a few attendances at Indiana Old Order Amish services. I have even had the pleasure of working for a OO Amish farmer near Paradise, PA. I helped harvest crops with horses and mules. Each rule may fit a particular need in one group and not necessarily in another. These rules are never influenced by want or greed or even so called jealousy for what the english may have. Also it is a fact that a lot of younger and teen Amish have some modern possessions. This is due to them experiencing the world during rumpspringa or running around. When these young people settle down and decide to join the church they usually give up a lot of these modern convienences. Some modern things, if found practical without going against a lot of church disipline may be utilized. They are in no way less intelligent than the english nor do they deserve being critisized by the english for possibly going against some of their rules. The english have far more things to worry about of themselves. So leave the Amish alone as well as other cultures you do not seem to want to understand. Lastly change is inevitable as we all know. The Amish have made some changes. It is just that they neither want or need many of the modern convienences of today. You cannot plow a field while watching a HDTV. Nor can you plow a field with one HDTV. Just a few examples.
11-19-2008 @ 7:05PM
WHY_BASH_THE_AMISH said...
CAN'T YOU ENGLISH LEAVE THE AMISH BE? MUST YOU TRY AND FIND FAULT IN EVEN THE PUREST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY? DISGUSTING WRITING!
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11-19-2008 @ 7:14PM
ELMER_ZOOK_STOLFUS said...
Mandie may the LORD have mercy on your soul for bringing the evil eye of jealousy about us to the English. We are not a perfect people. We however will help thy neighbor and worship GOD. You english is why America is the problem it is. Not because of our simple ways. We are not sneaky and wish you stop being so filled with hate, anger and racism. SHAME ON YOU!
I am sure you brag to all your friends about how you "know" us. You do not know our ways and you will never know our ways.
(typed by internet user as spoken to from that which will not use electricity)
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12-21-2008 @ 10:01PM
rick said...
I read your reply to mandie about how she will never know about the amish. maybe she dosent but i believe i do. I work for a group of amish carpenters here in southern maryland and have been a friend to many that live here for 20 plus years.There are amish that are firm in there beliefs but others seem to find ways around the ordnung. You say that the problem with america is the english,this maybe true but arent you and all amish a part fo this great country? Its easy set back and point fingers.Should we realy judge others or should we leave that up to Jesus Christ our lord and savior? If you have the answer to all the problems in our country then please write to your senator or congressman .
11-20-2008 @ 7:21AM
Sandra said...
I can believe they use plastic. They don't drive cars, but they use all kinds of electric farm equipment.
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11-20-2008 @ 7:31AM
elle said...
there is a difference between both the Amish and and Meminates and both are the most loving beautiful people around and like their privacy and deserve it. LEAVE THEM ALONE, to each their own
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11-20-2008 @ 7:31AM
elle said...
there is a difference between both the Amish and and Meminates and both are the most loving beautiful people around and like their privacy and deserve it. LEAVE THEM ALONE, to each their own
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11-20-2008 @ 7:41AM
FB said...
They "don't leave home without it." Even in a buggy.
WORRIED ABOUT TRAILER THEFT?? You need to:
http://www.carrythebigstick.com
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11-20-2008 @ 8:34AM
yachtmistress said...
The Amish are the most hypocritical people I have ever met.
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11-20-2008 @ 8:47AM
karen said...
I also live in PA near Lancaster. I can tell you that quite a few of the Amish are living just like us only better. They found a way not to pay taxes. They have cars! They just put them in other peoples names! My husband had to tow cars for them! I know people that have been paid to purchase cars in their names for Amish families. Not only that but you can find the young kids out and about at all hours of the night just like reg kids. The girls sneek into the dressing rooms and by bikinis, they carry cell phones and go out at night. I have lived here all my life and had to deal with this. I know that some of the Amish really are living the life, but more have just found a way around the laws that govern us! After all whose going to check up on them?
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11-20-2008 @ 8:57AM
Kirk Saltsman said...
Go to an auction and see how much the amish buy. Lots of land too.
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11-20-2008 @ 9:00AM
ritamilo said...
Many Amish families power appliances with propane instead of electricity.
A few years ago, on a tour of a working farm. we noticed refrigerators, KitchenAid mixers, etc.
The tour guide explained that they were powered by propane and when passing many Amish farms, you will notice a couple of large propane tanks.
Rather ingenious - there is even a pretzel company in one of the towns and they also power their equipment with propane.
Mennonites are not as strict as the Amish and they live a little more within what they refer to as the "English" world. They do have electricity and some also have televisions, etc.
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11-20-2008 @ 9:22AM
NICK said...
WE ALL COULD LEARN A LOT FROM THESE FOLKS. THEY ARE THE MOST HONEST AND PAY THEIR BILLS ON TIME. JUST THINK IF WE WERE A LOT LIKE THEM ARE JAILS WOULD BE ALL MOST EMPTY. YOU CAN'T WALK DOWN MOST LARGE TOWNS TODAY WITHOUT BEING SHOT. YOUR MORE PROTECTED IN IRAQ RIGHT NOW THAN IN CHI TOWN.
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