Marisa Palmieri Shugrue, second from right, with her family.
Courtesy Marisa Palmieri Shugrue
Marisa Palmieri Shugrue and her husband paid off their mortgage during the pandemic in 2020.
She says living within their means was a big part of their success. She and her husband each learned that lesson from their parents. She wrote in an essay for Insider, "They showed us that living within your means can be done, but you have to delay gratification and make careful choices, like cooking most of your meals at home, being content in a 'starter home,' and not always having designer clothes or the latest technology."