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20 Rich Celebrities Who Live More Modestly Than You

Jay Leno

How would you live your life if you were a rich celebrity with no money worries? Would you live an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle or would you live modestly. Although it may be difficult to imagine, there are quite a few celebrities who have ample means, but choose to live as though they were average income earners.

They are smart with their money and don't splurge on things that are not necessary for health, comfort and a few luxuries here and there. Not all wealthy personalities have vast mansions, expensive car collections or live the jet setting life.

Here is our list of 20 rich celebrities who live more modestly than you:

1. Jay Leno

Jay was not born into wealth. In fact, his earlier years were spent working two jobs so he could pay his bills and get by. He Knows what it is to live paycheck to paycheck. This is one of the reasons why he remains frugal with his spending. He has a net worth that is somewhere around $250 million, but the only money that he spends is what he makes doing his stand up comedy shows.

The rest goes into savings. Although he does own an extravagant car collection, he hasn't delved into his savings to buy any of the vehicles. He's collected them over time. His desire is to have enough to be comfortable when he retires from show business.

2. Zooey Deschanel

Here is another famous person in the entertainment industry who lives modestly. She has a considerable net wealth, but a lot of that is in the form of real estate, stocks and bonds. Sixty percent of her wealth is tied up with only forty percent available for her disposal. For a rich celebrity, we think that her monthly expenses of $22,500 a month is fairly low.

earnings are in the neighborhood of $95,000 monthly. She is also known for her large donations to charities. Zooey is a kind hearted person who doesn't feel the need to splurge on closets full of designer shoes and clothing. She has even been seen in thrift shops.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

3. Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah is a well known actress who has several big roles to her credit. She is currently married to Freddie Prinze, Jr. and the couple have a reputation for being frugal with their spending. Together, their estimated worth is placed at $15 million. They are family oriented and are respected for their humility, and Sarah for her volunteer work. Her mother taught her from an early age that giving is important regardless of how much or how little that you have.

4. Kristen Bell

Kristen and her husband Dax Shephard are both known for their modest lifestyle. Kristen even uses coupons when she makes purchases. The couples' net worth is estimated at $18 million, but they avoid unnecessary spending and look for deals when their shop. They didn't spend much on their wedding, but opted for a courthouse ceremony instead.

Dave Grohl

5. Dave Grohl

The former member of the grunge group Nirvana and more currently as lead vocalist for the Foo Fighters, is net worth is skyward at $225 million. He hasn't always been wealthy and now that he is, he appreciates it and treats his finances with respect.

He's very careful about what he spends. Although his hoe is large and it features a built in recording studio, he doesn't live a lavish lifestyle. Instead he donates time and money to charitable organizations and avoids big spending on unnecessary luxuries.

6. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio has a net worth of more than $200 million, but he doesn't live like he's rich. He prefers to put the majority of his income into savings. He is dedicated to advocating for environmental causes. The single car that he owns and drives is a Toyota Prius. His most extravagant expenditure was two and a half million dollars to purchase an island that is located near Belize. He puts forth a lot of effort in raising millions for wildlife preservation causes.

7. Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker is a popular actress who has appeared in several major films and television series. She is known as one of Hollywood's most humble and modest actresses. With a net worth of near $100 million she could live a lavish lifestyle, but she chooses not to. She credits her frugal lifestyle with her early years as a child from a large family who depended on welfare funding for food, shelter and clothing.

She grew up without financial means but Sarah has certainly turned that around. She is married to actor Matthew Broderick and the couple has three kids. Her kids even wear clothing that has been handed down. She has the fear of being poor again, but with the lifestyle that she lives, that is unlikely to happen. She and Matthew are careful with their money.

8. Warren Buffett

Warren Buffet is worth more than $70 billion and has earned the position of being the 2nd richest citizen in the United States. Even though Warren has amassed billions in riches, he lives a frugal life. He lives in the same home that he bought for $31,500 in the 1950s. He likes to live his life on simple terms. The powerful and influential philanthropist is reported to give ninety nine percent of his wealth away to charity.

Paul McCartney

9. Paul McCartney

The former Beatle has amassed a one billion dollar estate through his career in the music and entertainment industry. He's filthy rich but he most certainly doesn't act like it. Paul lives a frugal life and doesn't spend his money on frivolous things. In fact, he was involved in a row with his daughter for refusing to pay her college tuition unless she went to a state funded school that was more affordable. He has been accused by his ex-wife as being a "cheapskate."

10. Jennifer Lawrence

The actress is a coupon clipper who remembers what it was like before she earned her fame and money. Even though she is wealthy, she maintains the same apartment that she moved into when she first came to LA. She has yet to purchase a house. She doesn't shop at high end stores and drives a Volkswagen and a Chevrolet. She lives her life in a very frugal manner.

11. Tyra Banks

Tyra made a name for herself as a top model for Victoria's Secret. She continued to gain career success as she moved on to host her own talk show and most recently, hosting "America's Got Talent." her estimated net worth is at $75 million. She has a habit of saving her money rather than splurging on luxury items. She is frugal in her financial habits and lives a modest lifestyle.

12. Katie Couric

Katie earned her millions through her successful career in journalism. She is well known for her contributions to "The Today Show" as co-host, as anchorwoman for "CBS Evening News" and host of her own show "Katie" among other assignments.

She is rich, but she doesn't live a lavish lifestyle. She is not into high end or expensive products and prefers the store brands that cost what the average blue collar worker would pay. She has never gotten caught up in the extravagance that many celebrity figures have. She is definitely more into saving than spending.

13. Tobey Maguire

Tobey was the son of a construction worker/cook with a mom who worked as a secretary when he was growing up. There wasn't a lot of money available when he was young so he knows what it is to be poor. His parents set the example of being wise with what money you do have. Even though he has a net worth that is $30 million, he is modest in the way that he lives his life. He doesn't want to end up poor again, so he saves his money and when he spends, he does so wisely and with frugality.

14. Renee Zellweger

Renee is known for being a down to earth person. She is the daughter of immigrants who arrived in this country with no little to nothing. She watched her parents work hard and sacrifice so their children could have what they needed. This could be the influence that causes her to be frugal with her funds. She has a budget that she stays within.

Like so many other frugal spenders, Renee uses coupons and is always on the lookout for a good buy when she shops. She also conserves energy whenever possible and recycles. Her current net worth is estimated at around $45 million, so she doesn't have to scrimp to get by, but she chooses to be wise with her fortune and not spend more than she has to.

15. Mariska Hargitay

Marisk is an actress that was bringing in four hundred thousand dollars an episode for her role in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit." Her net worth is estimated to be at $50 million. She, like so many others who have made it big, did not have a privileged childhood. She knows what it is to be poor. She saves money and does not engage in wild spending. She wants to make sure that she has enough money in case her career comes to an end.

Carrie-Underwood-2

16. Carrie Underwood

Carrie is worth $80 million and the country music star maintains her down to earth status which she is known and loved for. Yes, she is an incredible success, but she lives her life frugally. She doesn't buy the very best brands which are more expensive. She doesn't have anything to prove so she lives her life according to her conscience. Much of this has to do with her home town girl values. She has a solid grip on reality and she knows the value of a dollar.

17. Eric Clapton

The British guitarist/singer/songwriter has built up a $250 million fortune through his music career. He is a grounded and down to earth person who has not let being a celebrity go to his head. Eric is also frugal with his money. His clothing is casual and he doesn't go all out on lavish parties or any type of squandering of his fortune. He does have quite an extensive art collection, but again, this is an investment versus an expense. Clapton lives a modest lifestyle and foregoes the rich rock star lifestyle.

18. Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker, formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish and in more recent years, as a country and Western artist, is worth $14 million. His song "Wagon Wheel" has topped the charts in the country genre and he's shown that he is easily able to cross from one music genre to another and be a great success with his fans. It is through his music career that he has amassed his fortune.

Even though he's rich, he lives a humble existence. He, his wife and children live quite modestly. He hasn't changed his lifestyle from before he became a success in the music industry.

19. Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria is a multiple award winning actress. She is good at making money. her pay per episode for "Desperate Housewives" was a whopping $375,000 an episode. She has invested money into the restaurant industry, but is truly a frugal person when it comes to personal spending.

She has a net worth of $35 million but you wouldn't know it by the way that she acts. She doesn't waste money on lavish vacations or wild parties. Instead, she prefers to live modestly and keep her eye out for a good deal.

20. Hilary Swank

Hilary lives her like as she was raised. Even though she is currently worth more than $40 million, she is also a coupon clipper. She has been seen using them in grocery stores. She avoids unnecessary spending and prefers to save her money. Part of the reason why Hilary is so frugal is that when she was growing up, there wasn't much money to spend. She learned how to manage money from an early age and she still practices good money management. She is a saver versus a spender and you can catch her looking for good deals when she is out shopping.

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Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

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