Most of us think if we were incredibly wealthy, we would live a life of opulence. Yet some of the richest people in the world live frugally — and we can learn something from them. Click through to see celebrities who practice frugal money habits.
Warren Buffett
The Oracle of Omaha is worth about $75 billion, according to Forbes, making him one of the 10 richest people in the world. Yet, he lives a very frugal lifestyle.
For example, Buffett still lives in the house he bought more than 50 years ago and is a walking lesson in how to live frugally. He once told Berkshire Hathaway investors, “For the $31,500 I paid for our house, my family and I gained 52 years of terrific memories, with more to come.”
Mark Zuckerberg
You might not think of this as what rich people do, but the Facebook founder drives a $30,000 Acura to work. Zuckerberg also wears jeans and a T-shirt nearly every day despite a net worth of over $73 billion, according to Forbes.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Parker’s journey to fame and fortune is one of the many celebrity rags-to-riches stories. She grew up as one of eight children in a family that spent time on welfare, according to The New York Times.
But Parker has kept her frugal ways despite her fame and fortune. And, she’s passing her habits on to her own children. For example, she dresses her son in clothes that have been handed down from her nephews.
Dave Grohl
His stints as drummer for Nirvana and front man for the Foo Fighters has helped Grohl amass a net worth estimated at $280 million. However, he claims he is afraid to spend money, citing his lack of a high school diploma to fall back on.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
The star of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” shops at upscale Whole Foods. But when she’s there, she only buys what’s on sale. And, she brings her own bags because she gets a discount for doing so.
Carlos Slim
Mexican business mogul Carlos Slim regularly appears on lists of the world’s wealthiest people, but you won’t find his home on any list of celebrity houses. His net worth is estimated at $60 billion, but he still owns a modest home in Mexico City.
Kristen Bell
Eschewing the three-day destination wedding many celebrity couples choose, actress Kristen Bell and fellow actor Dax Shepard got married at the local courthouse. The total cost for their nuptials: $142. Bell is also a regular coupon clipper.
Ingvar Kamprad
The founder of the ubiquitous furniture chain IKEA practices what he preaches when it comes to the affordable, assemble-it-yourself products his company sells. When he travels for business, he flies in coach class. He also drives around Sweden in an older Volvo.
Michelle Obama
Former first lady Michelle Obama paid for her own clothes while in the White House. Many of the elegant gowns she wore were donated by their designers or provided at a deep discount. When she shopped for herself, Obama often went to retail stores known for reasonable prices. On one appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, she sported a $35 dress from fast fashion retailer H&M.
Mark Cuban
Business mogul and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban promotes his philosophy on getting rich by relating his own story of how to live cheap. When he was in his 20s, he found the cheapest way to live was by crowding lots of people into a small apartment, and there were many nights he slept on the couch or even the floor. It must have worked, because now Cuban lives the rich people lifestyle.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
One of Hollywood’s richest “it” couples, Kutcher and Kunis are becoming known as frugal celebrities. They are trying to keep their children grounded by passing on their frugal habits. That includes not going overboard on Christmas presents for their children. They have asked their parents to limit themselves to one gift for each grandchild.
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski earns a base salary of $4.25 million a year as a star tight end for the New England Patriots. But he’s very careful about not spending money recklessly. An article from MONEY noted that Gronkowski got in the habit of banking his NFL paycheck and living off the money he receives from endorsements.
T. Boone Pickens
Oil mogul T. Boone Pickens has long been recognized as a savvy businessman and legendary tightwad. By his own admission, he will walk around the table in a conference room to turn the light out on his way out the door. He credits his grandmother with instilling this habit, saying she told him if he didn’t turn out the light when he was finished in a room, she would give him the electric bill and expect him to pay it.
Jay Leno
The stand-up comedian and longtime host of the “Tonight Show” says he has always had two jobs. He lives off the earnings from one and saves the money from the other. Even when Leno hosted the “Tonight Show,” he lived off the money he made doing stand-up comedy. The money from his television career went right in the bank.
Tyra Banks
Model, actress, author and host of “America’s Next Top Model,” Banks is one of many celebrities who live modestly. She saves money by collecting the shampoo, conditioner and soap from her hotel rooms and using leftovers the next day.
Teri Hatcher
“Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher keeps her cars until they have at least 100,000 miles on them before trading them in. She also bakes for her daughter’s classroom rather than buying treats to bring in.
Jennifer Lawrence
Even after starring in the hugely successful “Hunger Games” trilogy, Lawrence still lived in her parents’ condominium. “I think it would be very bizarre to live in a big mansion by myself,” she told Elle.
Lawrence eventually moved into her own digs, however. Variety reports that she bought a loft-style condo in New York City in early 2017 for a little more than $9 million.
Katie Couric
The longtime newscaster credits her mother with teaching her to search for bargains. Couric told Parade she brings leftovers to work for lunch and borrows clothes from her friends.
Kate Middleton
The future queen of England is well known for wearing the same outfit for multiple occasions — something royals are not known for doing. And her grandmother-in-law, the current Queen, has been known to turn off lights in empty rooms in Buckingham Palace.
Conan O’Brien
When comedian Conan O’Brien began starring on “Late Night,” he drove a 1992 Ford Taurus. With a 2017 net worth estimated at $100 million, we’re guessing he’s upgraded by now.
Tim Cook
As CEO of Apple, Tim Cook took home $145 million in 2016, most of it in vested stock. But in Adam Lashinsky’s book, “Inside Apple,” Cook said he likes “to be reminded of where I came from, and putting myself in modest surroundings helps me do that. Money is not a motivator for me.”
Hilary Swank
Award-winning actress Hilary Swank lived in a trailer, and even out of her mother’s car for awhile, when she was younger. That experience instilled frugal habits that she retains to this day, like buying toiletries in bulk and clipping coupons.
Mitt Romney
Despite coming from a wealthy background and parlaying that advantage into even greater wealth, former presidential candidate and business leader Mitt Romney knows the value of a dollar. He performs home renovations himself and has been known to buy his golf clubs at Kmart.
Carrie Underwood
One of the wealthiest country music stars, Carrie Underwood admits she clips coupons when she goes grocery shopping. Further illustrating that there’s not that much difference between some rich and poor people, she also said she often forgets to bring the coupons with her to the store. And if you’re wondering what rich people eat, Underwood buys stir-fry kits and meatless burgers.
Ashley Greene
“Twilight” star Ashley Greene credits her father with instilling frugal ways in her at a young age. She’s grateful because she knows her meteoric rise to fame could turn around just as quickly. She spends carefully in case the next big acting job doesn’t come along for awhile.
Vincent Kartheiser
The “Mad Men” actor takes public transportation and lived in a one-bedroom apartment even after he scored a choice role in the successful drama. He also espouses the environmental benefit of not owning a car.
This article originally appeared on GoBankingRates.com.
