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For some celebrities, their fame and fortune is a status symbol and they flaunt it to the public via various social media. Floyd Mayweather is a good example of this. But for others, no matter how famous they are, they still live like everyone else. A lot of celebrities have gone bankrupt from living far beyond their means, and then realizing they can't afford it all.
With the entertainment industry, it can be a hit or miss. What if an actor has two good years where they are in three mega-budget films per year and then not be cast in any roles for the next five? If they made huge purchases during the first two good years and then had five with no roles, well, you get the idea. This list is a compilation of famous stars who, despite having all the money in the world, have chosen to still lead a humble life. After all, not everyone needs five mansions in five different countries to feel happy. Or three garages full of exotic cars and motorcycles that they barely have the time to drive. It was reported that both boxers, Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, lost all or most of their savings because of poor spending habits and not knowing where their money went. I guess when you have so much of it, it's fairly easy to lose track of it all. You won't believe where this list leads.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker, who is well-known for Sex and the City, is nothing like her character, Carrie Bradshaw. Carrie, for instance, would never opt for clothes from the Old Navy. She is all about the designer clothes and bag and of course the designer shoes, shoes, shoes. According to Hollyfame.com, Jessica Parker has a net worth of close to $100 million, and yet she finds it difficult to forget her childhood, as her family of eight was forced to live on welfare to survive. For example, as a child, she did not like attending lunchtime at Clifton Elementary in Ohio, because she had to qualify for a free meal ticket because of her economic background. Apparently she still remembers the humiliation she felt to this day, and it has affected her lifestyle as an adult. Sarah’s daily life consists of living in a Greenwich Village brownstone in New York with her husband, actor, Matthew Broderick, and their three children.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar is most well-known for her role in the TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the movies, Scooby-Doo and Cruel Intentions.
She has often been regarded as one of the most likeable actresses in Hollywood, Sarah and her husband, Freddie Prinze, Jr., are well-known for living private and relatively humble lives. 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 still clips out coupons and tries to find the best deal around. Sarah credits her money saving habits 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.
Zooey Deschanel
After Zooey Deschanel filed for divorce from her husband, Ben Gibbard, and her monthly budget was accidentally made public according to Hollyfame.com. While the quirky actress was probably not happy with this incident, the leaked information did give us the rare glimpse of a major celebrity who maintains responsible spending habits. According to Hollyfame.com, "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 give to charitable organizations and doesn't see the point in spending her money on designer clothing. Who cares about a label anyways?
Tyra Banks
Well known from her days as a Victoria’s Secret model, Tyra Banks has dipped her feet in everything. I mean she has been the face of America's Next Top Model forever! According to Hollyfame.com "All of her work has helped her to accumulate a wealth of $75 million, but that doesn’t mean that she simply buys anything she wants." According to 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. 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 the leftover meat off of a friend’s chicken wings so that she could use it in an omelet the following day.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is an example of someone who makes an effort towards frugal living, According to Hollyfame.com, "She still lives in the same apartment that she’s had since she first moved to Los Angeles, and she is in no rush to run out and buy a house." Apparently Hollywood has not changed Jennifer much as she still likes to shop locally instead of spending all her money on designer items. She is also conservative when it comes to her ride. According to Hollyfame.com "Jennifer can be spotted driving her Volkswagen or her recently purchased, Chevy Volt." The Silver Linings Playbook actress may have all the money to enjoy literally all the luxuries in the world, but deep down she is a humble person who cannot forget their roots.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio was a young movie star who was known for different little roles until he broke into Hollywood with the mega-successful Titanic.
Not surprisingly, Leo eventually went on to become one of the top earners in Hollywood. According to Hollyfame.com, "it is estimated that his net worth has surpassed $200 million, and now that he has taken on the title of a producer in addition to acting, his fortune is only expected to grow." However, one of his major purchases includes "a $2.5 million island, which is near Belize, but he only owns one, which is definitely a surprise." Leo has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t want to spend a lot of money because having his funds grow allows him the freedom he needs to choose exactly what he wants to do as an actor. According to Hollyfame.com, he also hopes to accumulate enough wealth so that one day he is able to do something beneficial for others.
Paul McCartney
With an estimated $1 billion to his name, the former Beatle singer, Paul McCartney, is probably the last celebrity that you’d expect to be frugal. However, his daughter, Stella McCartney, who is a successful fashion designer, can prove otherwise. Stella has referred to her famous father as being very tight with his money, adding that he even refused to pay for her college tuition unless she chose to attend an affordable state school. Paul has also been given a hard time by his friends and colleagues for being cheap, as he famously made party guests buy their own drinks at a birthday celebration that he held for his ex-wife, Heather Mills. During their divorce, Heather Mills took a jab at Paul by stating that one of the reasons behind their breakup was the his refusal to spend any money on charity.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is known to be a part of a frugal and humble couple, as her 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.
According to Hollyfame.com, 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 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. I guess not everyone sees the point in massive, exotic weddings.
Warren Buffett
With a net worth of over $58.5 billion, Warren Buffett is among the richest people in the United States. He is 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, according to Hollyfame.com, "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. Apparently, "he is also known to shy away from technology, including luxury cars, cellphones, and computers, preferring a more simple existence."
Eva Longoria
TV and film actress, Eva Longoria, has won numerous awards throughout her career, and she is best known for playing Gabrielle Solis on the TV series, Desperate Housewives. In the final season of the series, Eva was earning $375,000 per episode. In addition to this area of her professional life, Eva has starred in numerous movies and has had business ventures in the restaurant industry. These activities have earned her a net worth of approximately $35 million. The actress states that her frugal mindset originated as a child, as her father would often take the family camping without food. This would teach Eva and her siblings how to live off of the land while saving money. She continued to practice these cost-saving methods as an adult, even after she reached celebrity status. Though she did spend $1.5 million on her wedding, she got away with a lot by snagging free items for the guests.
Tobey Maguire
Toby McGuire did not have an easy childhood. According to Hollyfame.com, "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. Even though he received $26 million to star in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, Tobey makes it a point to continue dressing casually.
Carrie Underwood
With her vast wealth, Carrie Underwood is the queen of country music. Since 2007, she has won six Grammy Awards, including the distinctions of “Best New Artist” and “Best Country Solo Performance,” and she has also taken home numerous Billboard Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards. According to Hollyfame.com, "Carrie’s thrifty ways began long before she made it big in Nashville. She states that she has always been frugal, and when she appeared as a contestant on American Idol, she would argue with the wardrobe department that wanted to dress her in expensive clothing." She also states that she would "never pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans. When she appeared on Everyday with Rachael Ray, Carrie also admitted to clipping coupons as a way to save money at the register when she goes to the supermarket." However, before making big purchases, she makes sure to ask herself whether she really needs the item.
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton is one of the world's best guitar players, and in turn, he has tons of money to spend. According to Hollyfame.com, "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. According to Hollyfame.com, he was 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.
Renee Zellweger
On the red carpet, Renee Zellweger is often photographed wearing designs by the famous Carolina Herrera, but she lives a more down-to-earth life when she isn’t in the spotlight. According to Hollyfame.com, "the native Texan chalks up her modest lifestyle to her humble upbringing in Katy, stating that her parents were immigrants who came to the United States with nothing." She remembers her father always working in order to support his family, and so she always had an appreciation for hard work and the sacrifice she saw her father making for his family. Renee also takes steps to save money and to limit her environmental consumption, and she runs her household on a tight budget. According to Hollyfame.com, "she clips coupons and looks for bargains at the supermarket, and while at home, she recycles and is diligent about turning the lights off when not in use."
Hilary Swank
Out of all the actors we're talking about in this article, Hilary Swank probably had the modest upbringing. Her hard upbringing has stayed with her and she carried them with her when she became the massive A-list star she is now. According to Hollyfame.com, she was raised in a trailer park in Washington, and Hilary states that she "was an outcast amongst her peers for being from a poor background." She grew up feeling shunned “because we had no money,” so from an early age, she learned how to make what funds she did have last for as long as possible. According to Hollyfame.com, "despite her current net worth of over $40 million, Hilary isn’t above looking for bargains. In fact, she is commonly seen using coupons when shopping at her local supermarket. In addition to her coupon-clipping, Hilary is humble when it comes to her fashion choices. She is clearly not a designer snob, stating that her closet is a “hodgepodge” of pieces from a variety of different stores and price ranges."
Keanu Reeves
One of the world’s favorite actors has no worries about his income from movie projects. Keanu gave away almost 85% of his earnings from The Matrix to the special effects and costume design team. "Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries," he said in an interview. Very often he can be seen using public transport, buying clothes in the sales, or resting on a park bench rather than in a luxurious restaurant. Keanu Reeves definitely seems like the type of actor that doesn't need to flaunt his fortunes. Like most on this list, he still seems like an ordinary person outside of the film set. You will very rarely see him standing in a picture with a mansion in the background or beside three sports cars. Not many people would give away 85% of their movie earnings, but Keanu did, probably because he recognized that a huge chunk of the film was special effects and that they deserved more than what they got.
Jay Leno
Jay Leno is notorious for being frugal despite being completely loaded in the bank. Trust us, he is insanely wealthy with an estimated net worth of $250 million. Yep. He credits his penny pinching ways to his younger years when he juggled different jobs. However, according to Hollyfame.com, his "persistence is a major contributor to this frugality, and before fame, Jay’s fast-talking skills helped him to land a job at a Mercedes-Benz dealership. Initially, he was told by the boss that the dealer wasn’t hiring, but Jay didn’t give up. The following Monday morning, he returned and simply started washing cars instead. A few days later when the boss noticed him, a co-worker vouched for him as a good worker, and Jay got the job." The former Tonight Show host has said that he puts all of his money from the talk show into savings, and he only spends earnings that he makes from performing stand-up comedy routines.
References: hollyfame.com, brightside.me, dailymail.co.uk
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