In 2013, Stephanie and her husband set an audacious goal to pay off $144,000 of student debt in three years.  Knowing that public accountability would motivate them to stay the course and meet their outrageously optimistic timeline, Stephanie began sharing all the details of their financial journey on her blog, Six Figures Under. Through a combination of ultra-frugal expense reduction and hyper-focused income growth, the entire debt was paid months before their goal's deadline! To celebrate, they bought new bicycles and new sleeping bags for the whole family--a seriously fun treat after a seriously intense financial project. Then it was on to saving for a home (no small task in California's housing market) with enough space for mom, dad, five energetic kiddos, and all the family animals. At Six Figures Under, Stephanie keeps up the accountability by sharing detailed family budget updates every month. Transparently sharing her real income and spending has helped countless readers learn how to budget in the real world and be inspired to do actually do it! One of Stephanie's favorite budgeting strategies is to budget what you earned last month and save what you earn this month for next month.  Doing so revolutionized their family's budget. She shows you how you can get the financial peace of living on last month's income in her free Guide to Getting a Month Ahead Financially. In addition to finances and budgeting, Stephanie loves to share frugal living hacks and teach others how she feeds her large-ish family on a tight budget. Stephanie is the author of Frugal Fresh Start: A 28-Day Challenge to Trim Your Expenses, Build a Budget and Fix Your Finances. When she's not blogging or crunching numbers for the family budget, she loves adventuring outdoors with her husband and five children ages ten and under. They live on several acres in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains. InstagramPinterestYouTube