The Amish community can teach preppers many things about being self-sufficient and living independently off the grid.

Read on to learn how some Amish ways of living can be applied to the typical prepper lifestyle. (h/t to PreppersWill.com)

Housing

The Amish keep the cost of the house and outbuilding down by working with their community. A family's relatives and friends will often camp on the family's land to help build the new structure.

When the Amish are building a house, they build the structure, insulate it well and raise it on a site that takes full advantage of the sun and prevailing winds.

Cooling and heating

Cooling and heating costs are some of the biggest expenses of many modern American families.

This is how the Amish save money and stay cool during summer:

Most Amish homes are built with a lot of windows to help circulate the air and bring in cooler overnight temperatures. The windows on the top floors are kept open to help the heat escape and the family stays on the lower floors within their homes for comfort.

In some Amish homes, families used the basement as a gathering place for dining or playing games.

Many Amish houses have a summer kitchen, which is a space connected to or near their house designed for cooking, smoking, pickling or canning during summer. The main purpose of the summer kitchen is to keep the heat and smell of cooking out of your main living quarters.