1. Sarah Jessica Parker
Despite fame and fortune, many A-list celebrities do, in
fact, practice responsible money-saving habits. While other celebrities are
spending millions on expensive houses, cars, and exotic vacations, these public
figures choose to lead more humble lives.
Sarah Jessica Parker of “Sex and the City” fame is nothing
like her character, Carrie Bradshaw.
While Carrie would never be caught dead out in public without her designer
clothes and perfectly-styled hair, Sarah’s life is a more modest and humble
existence.While she may have a net worth of close to $100 million, she finds it difficult to forget her childhood, as her family of eight people were forced to live on welfare to survive.
As a child, she dreaded lunchtime while attending Clifton Elementary in Cincinnati, Ohio, as she would be ushered to the front of the lunch line in order to get her free meal ticket.
She still remembers the humiliation she felt to this day, and it has deeply impacted her lifestyle as an adult.
Sarah’s daily life consists of living in a Greenwich Village brownstone in New York City with her husband, actor Matthew Broderick, and their three children.
Aside from some real estate purchases, Sarah leads a surprisingly frugal and modest lifestyle. She makes down-to-earth and grounded financial choices, and doesn’t spend her money on private jets, expensive vacations, or fancy restaurants.
She is known for keeping all of the clothes that she wore as Carrie in “Sex and the City,” and she has spoken of dressing her children in mostly hand-me-downs.
With these frugal actions, it seems that Sarah’s fears of one day being broke again are unfounded.
2. Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar is most well known for her role in the
TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and she has also starred in movies like
“Scooby-Doo” and “Cruel Intentions.”
They are rarely photographed at major celebrity events or hotspots, and on the unusual occasion that they do make the tabloids, they are often seen spending time with their two young children.
Sarah and Freddie have an estimated net worth of about $15 million, but despite this success, they live a frugal lifestyle.
Sarah has reported to “Self” magazine that she clips coupons and is always looking for sale items.
She is also an active volunteer, and in addition to giving her time to various charitable organizations, she also donates money to causes like Habitat for Humanity.
Sarah credits her good habits in money saving and giving to her mother, who has always told her that even when you have nothing, there is some way that you can give back. Sarah is one star who certainly doesn’t take her fame and fortune for granted.
3. Zooey Deschanel
When Zooey Deschanel filed for
divorce from her husband Ben Gibbard, her monthly budget was accidently made
public.
While the “New Girl” actress
certainly may not have been happy with this mistake, this mishap gave us the
rare glimpse of a major celebrity who maintains responsible spending habits.
While she had three credits, they
all carried a $0 balance, and her monthly expenses only equaled around 25% of
her monthly income.
It was revealed that her income was
roughly $95,000 a month, while her expenses were only $22,500 per month.
In addition to her responsible
spending habits, Zooey also has mixed assets that make her any financial
advisor’s dream client. Roughly 40% of her assets were in her bank accounts,
while the rest were invested in stocks, bonds, and real estate.
She is also known to donate a large
portion of her income to charitable organizations. The quirky actress also
doesn’t see the point in spending all of her salary on expensive, designer
clothes.
She is known to frequent thrift
shops and is always on the prowl for a good deal, simply stating that “style
isn’t when you buy yourself the most expensive things.” It is clear that Zooey
has never fallen prey to the lifestyle inflation phenomenon that often sweeps
up celebrities.
4. Tyra Banks
Former Victoria’s Secret model Tyra Banks has done it all, including hosting her own TV talk show. All of her efforts have helped her to accumulate a wealth of $75 million, but that doesn’t mean that she simply buys anything she wants.
Tyra has told “Forbes” magazine that
she often asks her accountant if she can afford to buy something, only for him
to laugh in response. She is a master saver, and her habits often scream Middle
America rather than Hollywood.
In fact, she is known to stockpile
shampoos and soaps from the hotels that she stays in, and she then brings them
home with her to use in her own bathroom.
Tyra has been quoted as saying “I am
frugal. I’ve always been this way.” In a recent interview, Tyra’s mother
confirmed this fact, and she shares a story of witnessing Tyra picking leftover
meat off of a friend’s chicken wings so that she could use it in an omelet the
following day.
The former supermodel is also known
for using a regular paper notebook in order to keep track of her life instead
of an iPhone, Blackberry, or other gadget. Tyra is anything but extravagant,
and she states that when it comes to eating out, The Cheesecake Factory is as
fancy as things get for her.
5. Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is actually part of a
humble and frugal couple, as she and husband Dax Shepherd are known for being
extremely thrifty.
When appearing on Conan O’Brien’s
late night show, the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” actress reported that she is
very frugal and uses a lot of coupons.
In fact, she explained to Conan that
the best possible coupon to happen on “is a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.”
Elaborating on the fact that she is very frugal, Kristen has also stated that
she and Dax are “hillbillies at heart” and that she has no shame in that fact.
The couple is said to have a
combined net worth of roughly $18 million, and their frugal ways led to what
they refer to as “the worst wedding ever.”
When other celebrity couples are
spending millions for lavish celebrations at exotic destinations, Kristen and
Dax settled for a simple courthouse wedding.
They estimate that the grand total
for the whole event was around $140, including the gas it took them to get
there. It seems safe to predict that the duo will pass their money-saving tips
on to their new daughter, Lincoln, and with projects like the new “Veronica
Mars” movie on the way, Kristen is expected to only expand on her fortune.
6. Leonardo Dicaprio
Leonardo Dicaprio was relatively
unheard of in the Hollywood scene until he catapulted to stardom with the 1997
release of “Titanic.”
After this blockbuster hit the big
screen, Leo quickly became one of the top actors in Hollywood.
Today,
it is estimated that his net worth has surpassed $200 million, and now that he
has taken on the title of producer in addition to acting, his fortune is only
expected to grow.
Leo
is a prominent environmental activist, and he is known to live a relatively
inexpensive lifestyle. His one major purchase was a $2.5 million island near
Belize, but he only owns one car, which is a Toyota Prius.
Leo
has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t want to spend a lot of money because
having his funds saved allows him the freedom he needs to choose exactly what
he wants to do as an actor. He also hopes to accumulate enough wealth so that
one day he is able to do something beneficial for others.
Leo
is also known for his generous charitable endeavors. He has started the
Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation in order to protect the environment, and he has
raised over $39 million for the World Wildlife Fund’s tiger habitat
conservation efforts.
His
foundation has also provided over 430,000 people in Africa access to clean
drinking water. It’s clear that Leo has his priorities straight when it comes
to spending his fortune.
7. Tobey Maguire
Growing up in California with little
money taught Tobey how to stretch a dollar.
His father was a cook and a
construction worker, while his mother was a secretary who later tried her hand
at screenwriting and producing.
His parents were only teens when he was born, and they divorced when Tobey was two years old, thus beginning his childhood of bouncing between his parents and other family members in a variety of different towns.
These modest and rocky upbringings made him reluctant to spend his money even after he started earning hefty salaries with his role as “Spider-Man.”
Tobey believes that living a frugal lifestyle will help to keep himself out of unfortunate financial positions in the future. He has said that he never wants to put himself into a situation where his spending is so out of control that he needs to keep making movies in order to survive.
Despite a payday of $26 million to star in “Spider-Man 2” and “Spider-Man 3,” Tobey makes it a point to continue dressing casually.
Although he bought a large property in an expensive area of Brentwood, California, he doesn’t consider this purchase to be frivolous, as he feels it is a wise financial investment for his family.
Since 2010, Tobey’s film appearances have slowed down, and he has been photographed spending more time with his wife and two young children. Despite taking it easy with work, Tobey continues to live a comfortable life, proving that he really is financially savvy.
8. Darius Rucker
Country singer Darius Rucker’s first
claim to fame was with Hootie and the Blowfish, and despite his flourishing
solo career, he wasn’t always so successful.
He states that there were years were
there “wasn’t a lot of food,” and although things never got out of control, he
states that there were “a lot of lean times in my life.”
It was these times that led Darius
to living a humble life even after his music career took off.
The two-time Grammy Award winner
currently has a net worth of $14 million, and while he acknowledges that having
money takes a lot of stress off of his life, he knows that money can’t buy
happiness.
He tries to be frugal to set a good
example for his three children, and he states that his biggest splurge is
getting a new car every few years.
However, Darius notes that his wife
often gives him a hard time about his car purchases, and she even convinced him
to get rid of his Hummer after they realized it cost $130 to fill the tank up
with gas. 
Darius states that even when he is
at center stage, he has not forgotten his roots. He was raised by a single
mother in South Carolina who taught him the importance of family, and he still
values these lessons. When he is not in the recording studio or performing, he
states he likes to do normal things like shop at Target and take his kids to
school.
9. Eric Clapton
As one of the world’s best guitar
payers, Eric Clapton has plenty of money to spend.
His success as a solo artist and as
part of groups like Blind Faith and Cream has earned him a net worth of
approximately $250 million. Despite his wealth, Eric is actually a down to
earth celebrity.
Eric acquired his frugal celebrity
status after being pictured at a local Los Angeles laundromat washing his own
clothes.
He has been seen bundling his items
into a washing machine and then waiting around for his clothes to finish.
Wearing casual clothes, including tennis shoes, a brown jacket, and old jeans,
Eric easily blends in with the other customers.
In fact, most other patrons don’t
even recognize the famous musician, and an onlooker stated “I would not have
looked twice unless I was a huge fan.”
Although Eric likes to save money by
doing his own laundry, this doesn’t mean he is cheap. He does like to spend
money on his favorite hobbies, including cars and an extensive art collection.
Eric has also stated that he is
considering his retirement from touring in 2015 due to being worn out with
traveling, and he is committed to this decision despite financial ramifications
that it may have on him. Touring is a very lucrative activity for musicians,
but it is clear that to Eric, money can’t buy happiness.
10. Warren Buffett
With
a net worth of over $58.5 billion, Warren Buffett is the second richest person
in the United States.
As
the CEO and largest shareholder of the company Berkshire Hathaway, Warren has
been ranked by “Time Magazine” as one of the most influential people on Earth.
However,
Warren’s lifestyle hasn’t changed much since he has struck it rich, and he is
surprisingly frugal.
Sometimes
referred to as the greatest investor in the world, many people are surprised
that Warren actually still lives in the same home in Omaha,Nebraska
that he purchased for $31,500 in 1958. Although he has dined in some of the
most extravagant restaurants in the world and has no problem paying the tab, he
prefers hamburgers from McDonald’s and a cold cherry Coke.
He also shies away
from technology, including luxury cars, cellphones, and computers, preferring a
more simple existence.
Warren
has also devoted much of his life to philanthropy, so it is clear that he knows
how to give back. Warren has stated that when he passes, 99% of his fortune
will be given to charity via the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
However,
his children should not have to worry about finances after their father is
gone, as Warren has stated that he plans to give them enough money that they
can do anything, but not so much that they feel like doing nothing.
Culled
by Holly Fame
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