We get it. Times are hard right now – for everyone. That’s why it’s important now more than ever before to build strategies that help you pull through – and not only survive but thrive and create a sense of well-being in your life and home.
Some of the most strategies were created by the original señoras – our abuelas and bisabuelas – some of whom may have in the campo – and some in their own ranchitos even!
So, que nos enseña una abuela? What can our abuelas or bisabuelas who lived in the campo teach us about frugal living?
In our book, Radical Señora Era, we talk about simple, key habits that señoras of the past had that helped them live a healthier, happier life. Did you know that you can use these habits today to not just create a happier every day life, but also live in more frugal ways?
Here are 20 simple habits from the abuelas and bisabuelas that you can start practicing today:
1. Save Every Jar.
Abuela didn’t buy storage containers — she washed and reused glass jar for beans, salsa, or sewing needles.
2. Reuse Cooking Oil (the Smart Way).
Strain and reuse oil once or twice — just like our grandmothers did with their cast-iron skillets — to reduce waste and save money.
3. Grow Your Own Herbs.
Even a small balcony can hold cilantro, mint, and epazote — the holy trinity of rancho flavor and self-reliance.
4. Never Waste Food Scraps.
Turn stale tortillas into chilaquiles, bones into broth, and veggie peels into compost. Nothing goes to waste in La Vida Campesina.
5. Use Fabric, Not Paper.
Keep a drawer of reusable rags and kitchen towels instead of paper products — señora-style sustainability.
6. Keep a “Reheat and Remix” Day.
Leftovers become new meals: rice → fried rice, beans → soup. Abuela invented meal prepping.
7. Turn Old Clothes Into Cleaning Cloths.
Before donating or tossing, repurpose fabric for cleaning, dusting, or even sewing projects.
8. Make Coffee Twice.
Abuelas brewed a second pot from the same grounds — cafecito de la tarde — proving that frugality can be delicious.
9. Save Your Plastic Bags.
That kitchen drawer full of bags wasn’t clutter — it was strategy. Each one got reused until it practically disintegrated.
10. Keep a Repair Mindset.
Sew a button, patch a sheet, fix what’s broken before buying new — because “tirar es de flojos.”
11. Share Tools with Neighbors.
Ranch life was built on community borrowing — the original sharing economy.
12. Cook with What You Have.
If Abuela didn’t have cream, she used milk. No limes? Try vinegar. Rancho life is about adaptability, not perfection.
13. Save Water Like Gold.
Reuse water from washing veggies to water plants. Resourcefulness is environmentalism in disguise.
14. Keep a “Rancho Pantry.”
Stock staples like rice, beans, flour, and oil so you’re always ready for a homemade meal, no matter what.
15. Dry Your Clothes in the Sun.
Sunlight disinfects, smells fresh, and costs nothing. The backyard clothesline was early solar power.
16. Make Natural Cleaners.
Vinegar, lemon, and baking soda clean almost everything — the señoras didn’t need fancy products.
17. Value Hand-Me-Downs.
Furniture, dishes, clothing — nothing carries more soul than what’s been loved before.
18. Keep a “Fix-It” Drawer.
Screws, threads, glue, rubber bands — Abuela’s version of Amazon Prime.
19. Celebrate Simplicity.
La vida campesina wasn’t about lack — it was about joy in enough. A meal shared, a floor swept, a breeze through open windows.
20. Pass It On.
Teach your kids and friends these habits. Rancho resourcefulness isn’t just a lifestyle — it’s cultural resilience.