25 Rich Celebs Who Surprised Fans With Their Frugal Lifestyles

Most celebrities get the fame and the money when they reach superstardom. More often than not, these new-rich folk seem hellbent on spending their monies rather recklessly at supersonic speeds. Fortunately not everyone adheres to such an insensible lifestyle. 

#1 Pope Francis Shunned A Grand Apartment

Image source: Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images, BBC

Unlike all the other popes in history who chose to live like royalty, Pope Francis opted to live in a modest, communal dorm with other Vatican priests. He picked the humble dorm over the palatial penthouse apartment with more than a dozen rooms, staff quarters, a terrace, and amazing views of Rome.

#2 Chow Yun-Fat Reportedly Lives Way Below His Means

With a net worth of over $700 million, you’d be surprised to learn that Chinese movie legend Chow Yun-Fat lives a frugal lifestyle and survives on about $100 a month. When interviewed by Jayne Stars, Chow said, “My dream is to be a happy and normal person. The hardest thing in life is not about how much money you earn, but how to keep a peaceful mindset and live the rest of your life in a simple and carefree manner.”

#3 Tiffany Haddish Is An Outfit Repeater

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Tiffany Haddish famously appeared in the same dress she wore for the 2017 Girls Trip Premiere at least five times. When she hosted Saturday Night Live, she hilariously shared, “I should be able to wear what I want, when I want, no matter how many times I want, as long as I Febreezed it.”

#4 Ed Begley Jr. Takes Public Transportation To The Oscars

Image source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

Ed Begley Jr. has made taking the metro and subway to the Oscars a yearly tradition. In a video taken on the LA metro, before the 96th annual Academy Awards, Begley said, “I’ve been riding the metro since before it was the metro. It was the RTD,” he said, referring to when LA’s transportation system used to be called the Rapid Transit District (RTD). “I used to take the 93 line downtown into Hollywood.”

#5 Ben Affleck Snubbed Expensive Sneakers

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When Ben Affleck attended a sneaker convention in LA, he was caught on camera objecting to buying his son Sam a $6000 pair of Dior Air Jordan 1s. He remarked, “That’s a lot of lawns you gotta mow there!” With a net worth of around $150 million, some may find this odd, but most fans actually praised his reaction.

#6 Cameron Diaz Hates Wasting Money

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In an interview with Stella magazine, Cameron Diaz said, “I come from a frugal upbringing, so I’m not just going to throw my money away.” However, Diaz also revealed that she doesn’t mind splurging on those close to her. She admitted, “I love to be close to my family and friends, so I spend money on plane tickets, having feasts, buying a ton of groceries and cooking, or going out for an amazing meal, knowing I don’t worry about how much the bill costs.”

#7 T-Pain Flies Commercial

Image source: T-Pain, Buzzfeed

Grammy Award-winning rapper T-Pain faced criticism from some members of the public for his decision to fly commercial instead of splurging on a private jet. According to the critics, the only reason he’d fly commercial is because he’s broke. In response to the claims, he set the record straight on Twitter, saying, “To take a private jet from Atlanta to Vegas and then back to Atlanta is $126,000. Why would you do that? In what world is that smart? If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense!!!”

#8 Zach Galifianakis Had The Same Car For 20 Years

Image source: Monica Schipper / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

On the Jimmy Kimmel show in 2018, Zach Galifianakis confirmed that he actually drove his ‘98 Subaru Outback for decades. He told Jimmy, “It’s been my car. I told myself when I bought it, I’m going to drive it for 20 years.” Zach probably would’ve been driving his beloved car today if it hadn’t started breaking down.

#9 Chris Evans Kept His iPhone 6s For Seven Years

Image source: Cindy Ord / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

In 2022, Chris Evans admitted that before deciding to upgrade, he was still using the same trusty iPhone 6s that he’d bought 7 years earlier. In a hilarious post on Instagram, Evans shared, “RIP iPhone 6s, we had a good run. I’ll miss your home button. I won’t miss the nightly battle of trying to get you to charge. Or your grainy pictures. It was a wild ride. Rest easy, pal.”

#10 Matthew McConaughey Likes Living In A Trailer

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Even after making millions as an actor, Matthew McConaughey lives a minimalist lifestyle. In an interview, McConaughey remarked, “Who needs a home when you can live in a trailer?” People tell me it’s not a very Hollywood way to live, but it’s my choice…I went minimalist. My Airstream trailer measures 28 feet by 7 feet and has everything I need. That allows me to live stress-free because my options are restricted.”

#11 Lady Gaga Shops The Bargain Racks

Image source: Peacock / Getty Images, Moneywise

Lady Gaga admitted to shopping from clothing sale racks in 2012. Gaga also confessed that despite the reactions she might get, she wasn’t shy to use coupons. The singer voiced her frustration in a tweet, “Why do people look at me like I’m crazy when I use coupons at grocery or try bargaining at retail, I’M FROM NEW YORK, WHERE IS THE SALE RACK?”

#12 Jay Leno Always Has Two Incomes

Image source: Bobby Bank / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

From the time he landed his first gig, Jay Leno has always had two incomes, spending one and saving the other. The comedian admitted to CNBC Make It, “When I started to get a bit famous, the money I was making as a comedian was way more than the money I was making at the car dealership, so I would bank that and spend the car dealership money…It sounds ridiculous, but if everything ends tomorrow, I know I’ll be fine.”

#13 Eminem Steers Clear Of Unnecessary Spending

Image source: Scott Legato / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

Early on in his career, Eminem struggled a lot with a*******n, which led to some pretty bad financial choices. In a 2010 interview with The New York Times, after being sober since 2008, the rapper revealed what he does with all his money, saying, “I save it. I save a lot of money by not buying d***s anymore. I invest. I always try to be smart.”

#14 Ed Sheeran Pays Himself An Allowance

Image source: Timothy Norris / Getty Images, Moneywise

Even though he’s one of the world’s biggest pop artists, Ed Sheeran doesn’t believe in lavish spending, so he still keeps to a strict budget. Sheeran admitted to only giving himself an allowance of about $1,000 per month, and he also told the Irish Examiner, “ You never want to be wasteful.”

#15 Cardi B Admitted To Being Cheap

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In 2018, Cardi B confessed to Sway’s Universe, “I’m very cheap, I don’t care. Sometimes ya might see me with the jewelry, but I’m always looking at my account. I’m not the one that wanna take jets everywhere. I don’t care. I’m really cool in Delta first class. That’s $30,000, $20,000, on what? My ears still pop.”

#16 Ashley Greene Refuses To Fly First-Class

Image source: Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images, Kristen Harris

Twilight star Ashley Greene admitted that she’s economical, loves to save, and doesn’t waste money when flying. In a 2012 interview with Marie Claire, Greene said, “It is just not worth it to buy a first-class ticket, because of the cost. I’m lucky because my dad taught me to be frugal and save.”

#17 Carrie Underwood Still Goes To The Laundromat

Image source: John Nacion / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

Despite having a jam-packed schedule filled with gigs and touring, famous country singer Carrie Underwood still finds time to do her own laundry. In 2012, she reportedly told Oprah’s Next Chapter, “So that’s what I do on my days off. We go to the laundromat. I get my quarters. We go to the laundromat and go do our laundry. I just don’t like other people doing my laundry. It freaks me out.”

#18 Julia Roberts Lives A Sustainable Lifestyle

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Julia Roberts has always been passionate about sustainable living and being kind to the environment. To show her dedication to the green-living cause, she recycles items, thrifts for a lot of her clothes, and even grows her own organic vegetables. Julia also enjoys being a minimalist because it provides her with mental clarity.

#19 Sarah Jessica Parker Only Bought Secondhand Clothes For Her Son

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In an interview with The Edit online magazine in 2016, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that the documentary called The True Cost really got her into thrifting clothes for her son James Wilkie. She said, “The one area I’ve had a hard time with is pants, but I buy used T-shirts and sweaters for him. Track pants are hard; boys rip them. I don’t know how to get around that.”

#20 Mila Kunis Bought Her Wedding Bands Off Etsy

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Mila Kunis has always been cautious with how she spends her money, largely due to her experience as an immigrant in the US. In 2019, on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, Kunis shared, “And so, our wedding bands are from Etsy…I went and looked at, like, how much Tiffany charges, and I was like, ‘They’re how much? Like, this is astronomical.’ And so I went on Etsy, and it was like $90. I was like, ‘Buy now!’”

#21 50 Cent Skips Out On Owning A Yacht

Image source: Paras Griffin / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

In a 2023 interview with journalist Brian J. Roberts, rapper 50 Cent explained why he wouldn’t ever cough up money for a yacht. He said,” I’m going to be off moving around so much that the yacht turns into a hole. It turns into a hole in the water that you could just keep throwing money in because you don’t really have time to get on it.”

#22 Zooey Deschanel Is A Relatively Frugal Spender

Image source: Gilbert Flores / Getty Images, Jacob Shamsian

Zooey Deschanel has been described as very financially responsible. She has said before, “I try not to be wasteful. I’m not a major environmentalist, I’m not Ed Begley, Jr., but I think there are little things you can do. I think the things that we all do every day add up, like recycling, reusing.”

#23 Timothée Chalamet Rented An Electric Bike To Beat Traffic

Image source: Shane Anthony Sinclair / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

Timothée Chalamet surprised everyone when he showed up at the 2025 London premiere of A Complete Unknown on a Lime bike instead of in a fancy limo. While fans praised his “ecological” choice, the premiere organizers weren’t too happy with him parking it on the red carpet, so they slapped him with a $79 fine.

#24 Sarah Michelle Gellar Cuts Coupons

Image source: Arnold Jerocki / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

Fans were surprised to learn that Sarah Michelle Gellar counts her cash and tries to stick to a budget just like any regular person would. In a 2018 interview with CNBC Make It, Gellar remarked, “I still don’t like writing big checks, I don’t like making big purchases…Like, if there’s a coupon there, I’m going to use it. Just because you’re successful doesn’t mean that you should be errant in your spending.”

#25 Tyra Banks Is A Big Saver

Image source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images, Buzzfeed

From an early age, ex-supermodel Tyra Banks learned the importance of saving and making wise financial decisions. In a 2018 interview with Money, Banks explained, “While a lot of models were partying it up and going shopping and buying a closet of designer clothes or staying at the top hotels during fashion week, I was at the Doubletree or Embassy Suites, saving my money, and bought a house at 20 years old.”