These Frugal Celebrities Still Live on a Budget
Don't make assumptions when you see celebrities on the red carpet wearing designer gowns and dripping diamonds, or when you read about lavish Hollywood shopping sprees.
The truth is that the stars often just borrow their red carpet fashions and accessories. And though some do love giving their credit cards a workout, other celebrities can be surprisingly tightfisted.
Here are 10 performers who are known to pinch a penny or two — and might even inspire you to start saving more money.
1. Tiffany Haddish rocks a fake designer bag
Tiffany Haddish readily admits to being cheap.
Tiffany Haddish may have skyrocketed to fame after her breakthrough role in Girls Trip, but the comedian is in no hurry to spend excessive amounts of cash.
“I still drive a Honda HR-V. It’s a hybrid,” the actress told People in 2017.
She went on to confess: “I still have a fake [Michael] Kors purse, but I got a real Givenchy bag, and Jada [Pinkett Smith] just gave me a Fendi bag. I haven’t paid for these bags. These are gifts."
Haddish once found herself homeless, and the experience taught her the value of long-term financial planning. "I’m probably going to be cheap with my money for a long time," she said.
2. Ed Sheeran lives on $1K a month
Ed Sheeran doesn't like being wasteful.
Ed Sheeran is one of today's best-selling pop music stars, but you'd never tell it from his spending habits.
The singer still uses the same student bank account he's had since before his career took off, and he gives himself an allowance of only around $1,000 a month.
As he told the Irish Examiner, "You never want to be wasteful."
That sounds like a "perfect" philosophy.
3. Lady Gaga shops the bargain racks
Lady Gaga loves sales and coupons.
She's got fame, money and a growing collection of awards, including her new Oscar for the song "Shallow" from A Star Is Born. But Lady Gaga still loves a good bargain.
The entertainer has said she haunts the sale racks when she's out shopping for clothes, and that she's not afraid to bust out a coupon — despite the reactions she might get.
She lamented in a 2012 tweet: "Why do people look at me like I'm crazy when i use coupons at grocery or try bargaining at retail, IM FROM NEW YORK WHERE IS THE SALE RACK"
4. Kristen Bell got married for under $200
Kristen Bell loves Bed Bath & Beyond coupons.
Kristen Bell — who's one of the stars of TV's The Good Place and is best known as the voice of Anna in Frozen — is another celebrity who loves a good coupon.
Bell told Conan O'Brien on his show that her favorites are the coupons from Bed Bath & Beyond, "because they’ve got 20% off, and if you go and buy a duvet or an air conditioner or whatever, you could be saving upwards of $80."
Her husband, Dax Shepard, seems to be on board with her frugal lifestyle. He has said that their 2013 courthouse wedding cost just $142.
5. Keira Knightley lives on $50K a year
Keira Knightley likes to pretend that she has a limited income.
Actress Keira Knightley from the Pirates of the Caribbean series has starred in movies that have made her a familiar face around the world, but she refuses to let fame go to her head.
The two-time Oscar nominee (for Pride & Prejudice and The Imitation Game) is worth an estimated $60 million, but she told Glamour magazine in 2014 that she tries to live on just $50,000 a year.
"I think living an [expensive] lifestyle means you can't hang out with people who don't live that lifestyle. It alienates you," Knightley said, adding that some of her best times have been "in the least luxurious places."
6. Mila Kunis found her wedding ring on Etsy
The star of "Bad Moms" doesn't want to be bad with money.
Black Swan and Bad Moms actress Mila Kunis has said that when shopping for wedding rings before she married her That '70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher, she was shocked by the astronomical prices at Tiffany.
But Kunis told Conan O'Brien she went on Etsy and was able to score two wedding bands for a grand total of just $190.
In another interview, she said she and Kutcher tend to treat their kids to just one present each during the holidays. She explained that their young son and daughter were already being overwhelmed with presents from grandparents and other family members.
7. Halle Berry shops at CVS
Halle Berry says she's a cautious spender.
Though Halle Berry has enjoyed an amazing career, she hasn't forgotten the lessons she learned growing up as the daughter of a single mom.
Berry has been known to rummage through sale racks, and on more than one occasion she has been spotted leaving CVS stores with purchases. She doesn't mind admitting that she approaches spending with caution.
"I am pretty frugal," the Oscar-winning actress (for Monster's Ball) is quoted saying. "I save a lot because I'm always worried about when this trip is going to stop. So I'm saving for that day so I can have a life that is secure and comfortable."
8. Dave Grohl drives a 'family car'
Dave Grohl drives a dad car.
Dave Grohl is a bona fide rock star, but the Foo Fighters frontman shamelessly admits that he doesn't party like one.
The musician who first made it as a member of Nirvana prefers to play it safe when it comes to his finances.
Grohl once told The Red Bulletin that his money "goes straight into my bank account, where it turns all moldy and smelly. I drive a family car — not a monster SUV but a family car that fits five people. I’ve got a house that is just big enough, too."
9. Carrie Underwood is a coupon clipper
Carrie Underwood still loves coupons and sandwiches from Subway.
Though Carrie Underwood didn't quite grow up poor, her family did keep a tight budget. The country music superstar has revealed that her mom used to make clothes for the kids with fabric she bought at Walmart.
Underwood has never strayed far from her humble beginnings and once told Rachael Ray that she still uses coupons, shops at the grocery store and makes most of her meals herself.
Though she occasionally treats herself to a meal out, the singer added that she and her husband are frequent customers at Subway.
10. Hilary Swank loves a good bargain
Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank hasn't forgotten her humble upbringing in a trailer park.
Her acting has won her two Academy Awards — for Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby — and her net worth is estimated in the tens of millions. But Hilary Swank hasn't forgotten her frugal upbringing in a trailer park.
She keeps her money close and in recent years has said she still enjoys clipping coupons to get the best value for her hard-earned cash.
"When you open up the paper and you see those coupons, it looks dollar bills staring you in the face," Swank told TV host Kelly Ripa. "It's how I grew up. Why not?"
Ready to get frugal like these stars? Find a savings account with a great rate to hold all the money you'll be able to set aside.
