Saving Money at Home

Family working together at home, New York, 1908, LOC.

We were sitting at the kitchen table on a recent afternoon. My granddaughter suddenly jumped up and ran to the front window. We quickly followed her. "I heard a horse," she told us. There was a clomping sound of horses as we looked to see an Amish family riding down the road.  It reminded me of the old days before there were any cars in use. Since that day I have seen them go by a few more times.  We have been told that a new Amish family has moved into our town. I am thankful to have them as neighbors.  I am inspired by the beauty of their plain method of living.  Their skilled way of an old-fashioned life reminds us to live simply with a careful use of finances.

I am always trying to save money, here at home. I work on keeping the expenses low to avoid excessive pressure and burdens on our simple way of life.  I am looking at the year ahead, rather than just the coming week. I know it will take a great deal of effort and time to save for the annual car insurance (in the spring) and the fall expenses of homeowner insurance and property taxes. I must diligently save for these and many other common and expected bills.  I also have to quietly save for medical trips for our patient. These may come at uncommon times as well as scheduled ones.  We are getting ready for one of these trips which will happen in just a few days. I must always be about the business of saving.

I had some notepaper on my desk.  When I think of something I need, I will write myself a note or a list.  I always wait until the next time I have to go out on errands or to the store before buying anything. I often add a few grocery items like milk or butter to this list. There were a couple of non-food items I needed for the coming week. Each day I would look at the list and think, "how in the world can I manage to spare the money for these things?"  One morning I came up with a way to get by without them. I was so relieved!  This is why it is so important to wait before we buy.  We often need time to pray and think. Sometimes we may be able to get creative and manage without using money, which is so scarce these days.

The immigrants before us, here in America, had a great deal of work to simply get through each day. They worked hard and had to budget and plan and be very cautious with every penny that came in.   This type of thinking seems foreign in our modern culture. But saving money at home, praying for our needs, and being careful with what we are given will bring a sense of contentment and trust in our Heavenly Father who dearly loves us. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.  

Overcoming Worries and Troubles - Reviving the Prayer Journal.

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 Help for hard times at home - 

House Keeping in Hard Times: Essays and Encouragement from a Christian Housewife

 Paperback, 180 pages

 As you read the entries, you will get a sense of what it is like as a Christian housewife through the ups and downs of life.  Topics include motherhood, marriage, taking care of children, cleaning, living on a low income, saving money, and building up the family with faith as the foundation.