Chip and Joanna Gaines met in Waco, Texas, and they've been there ever since.
They found a way to grow a business flipping houses in the area and barely made it by on whatever cash Chip had in his pocket.
After a few financial scares, they caught a break and were offered a television show on HGTV, "Fixer Upper."
Since then, their Magnolia brand has grown from a little storefront to an entire empire boasting home goods and needs, real-estate ventures, books, and more. They bought a space in downtown Waco and turned it into the complex now known as The Silos, filled the space with an eponymous market and bakery, built a breakfast restaurant close by, and published a cookbook.
It's hard to imagine what life is really like for the duo after they raked in a reported $30,000 per episode, but it's more humble than you might imagine.
You probably know Chip and Joanna Gaines as the faces of HGTV's "Fixer Upper."
Their hit home-improvement series took prospective homeowners through Waco, Texas, where they would ultimately buy a run-down house ready for a huge makeover.
While the original "Fixer Upper" definitely contributed to their estimated combined net worth of $20 million — they reportedly made $30,000 per episode — it wasn't their first business venture, and they have taken on several others since it first aired.
Joanna ran the shop, which was a single storefront housing tons of antiques. Eventually they closed Magnolia Market to focus on Magnolia Homes as well as raising their children — she said she still thinks about that antique counter.
... and food trucks to take their treats mobile. They have seasonal food trucks for special occasions, and their restaurant, Magnolia Table, now has a truck as well.
They're also bringing in some extra cash from Magnolia Stay — their network of two luxury properties available for rent, both pictured below. Right now, you can spend two nights at The Magnolia House for nearly $1,400, or Hillcrest Estate for nearly $2,000.
While their relationship seems like a stream of various businesses and new projects, there is another chunk of their life together that — er, who? — they're not shy about showing off.
Chip and Joanna Gaines in 2017.
Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic/Getty Images
According to Country Living, the family has 60 animals on their 40-acre farm. The pair's Instagram feeds are filled with pictures of horses, dogs, goats, cattle, chickens, longhorns, and pigs.
The Gaines family is big on fresh foods — not to mention the cookbooks they've published — and cooking family meals. Chip and Joanna's son, Duke, once welcomed Joanna home with this shirt full of veggies — she wrote that he then asked to pickle peppers!
The Gaineses take family trips, like this one to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Joanna says Chip used to tell her stories about visiting the fiesta as a kid — in 2018 he surprised the family with a visit so they could all experience it together.
Unlike the partially sinking tower, their marriage doesn't seem to be toppling over anytime soon — even in the midst of all the divorce rumors. The couple celebrated 15 years in May 2018.
It's something the kids have picked up on as well. They found a way to cheer on their mom as she celebrated the launch of her book, "Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave."
And the relationship doesn't seem to be lacking romance either. The pair told Southern Living they have weekly date nights, and get all dressed up to celebrate Valentine's Day with their children over a "big, beautiful candlelit dinner."
They also have a pretty romantic practice of staying together, even when they're apart. Joanna drops little notes in Chip's bag when he travels — and Chip saves them!
It wasn't always cupcakes and TV contracts for the couple, though. Just after the birth of their first child, Chip found himself in the county jail, and Joanna found herself scraping together cash to get him out.
They had racked up about $2,500 in unpaid tickets — which were issued after neighbors complained about the couple's dogs illegally roaming around in the street — and his bail was set at $800.
This was a major wakeup call for the duo. Joanna realized they "were right on the edge of a real financial struggle," and she vowed to never let it happen again. "I think for me, the best lesson is always having a nest egg on the side," she told Business Insider.
But naturally, they don't always see eye-to-eye. Chip said he was taught the opposite: "[My parents] taught me to take that nest egg and throw that thing out the window, and go for it. You only live once — there will be plenty of time to sleep when you're dead."
Before the fame, the couple said they were living off of whatever was in Chip's pocket. He joked that Joanna's father would ask him if he was going to get a job, but he already had one: flipping houses and working construction.
Chip describes their lifestyle and approach to business as a gamble. "I think Jo and I like to roll the dice," he told People. "The cooler things get from our perspective, the more we like to invest ... it never feels really like you're okay."
Joanna still tries to save money and stick to budgets where she can. "I always go [to a flea market] with a budget in mind, so I don't get carried away," she told POPSUGAR. "When I find something I like, I first determine the value and what I will spend on it before I look at the price tag."
It may sound ironic, considering their rise to fame was because of television, but the couple doesn't actually have a TV in their house. Since they didn't have access to reality shows at home, they told "TODAY" they couldn't have ever imagined how much success the show would bring them.
Joanna said her kids enjoy the little things in life and aren't spoiled, despite the family's fame. For Duke's birthday, she said all he asked for were balloons and "mama's cinnamon rolls."
They started Magnolia Foundation, which works with local charities to support causes like orphan care, youth development, family housing and community restoration.
On several occasions, Chip has been seen promoting donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital across social media. He made a donation of around $6,000 for Joanna's 40th birthday and shaved his head in exchange for donations from his followers.
