Frugal celebrities

While the term "frugal celebrity" may seem a contradiction in terms, some of them actually are penny-pinchers. They may don fancy clothes, spend thousands on cosmetics, or buy cars and homes that are out of reach for most of us, their spending compared to their net worth is remarkably small. Fame and fortune don't turn them all into big spenders. Here are some of Hollywood's most savvy celebs.

Halle Barry

Ms. Berry is a prudent saver. She says that she saves so much because she's "worried about when this trip is going to stop." She doesn't have fancy cars and diamonds. She wants financial security. The actress is worth $70 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Photo courtesy of Alexander Horn via Wikimedia Commons.

Kristen Bell

Bell recently told Conan O'Brien that she "almost exclusively shop[s] with coupons." She admits to loving Bed Bath & Beyond so much that she "may or may not" have taken coupons from the mailboxes of her neighbors. She's even been known to wear a $45 dress from Target to special events. Bell's estimated net worth is $8 million.

Photo courtesy of David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

The vampire slayer herself tries to save a few bucks whenever possible. She was raised by her single mom on a tight budget. Gellar told Self magazine that she prints out coupons for groceries and dry cleaning, takes a reusable bag to get a discount at Whole Foods (it's also more environmentally friendly), and shops sales at Bloomingdale's on double rewards day. She has a net worth of $15 million.

Photo courtesy of David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

Ashley Greene

This star of the wildly popular Twilight series says that she learned her frugal habits from her father. Greene doesn't want to have to take acting jobs just for the sake of bringing in money. She wants to be able to turn down jobs for two or three years if she wants to and still be able to pay the mortgage and feed her dogs. Her estimated net worth is $10.5 million.

Photo courtesy of Tom Sorensen via Wikimedia Commons.

Mariska Hargitay

Eleven years on SVU, an Emmy and a Golden Globe later, Hargitay knows that her claim to fame can end at any time. She admits that she often worries about money because she was poor for far longer than she's been rich. She wants to save for the future because work is hard to find for aging women in Hollywood. Hargitay has an estimated net worth of $28 million.

Photo courtesy of Joella Marano via Wikimedia Commons.

Teri Hatcher

This Desperate Housewife has a rule about driving her cars for 10 years [or] until they have 100,000 miles on them. The area that she does admit splurging on, though, is travel. Her estimated net worth is $50 million.

Photo courtesy of greginhollywood via Flickr.

Jay Leno

The Tonight Show host told Parade in 2009 that he's never touched a dime of his Tonight Show earnings. Instead, he lives off the income he makes doing stand-up comedy. Leno attributes his watchful spending on being raised by parents who grew up during the Depression era. He obviously splurges on cars and bikes, though, and one can argue that spending on those luxuries isn't exactly frugal. Leno's estimated net worth is $180 million.

Photo courtesy of Lee Stranahan via Wikimedia Commons.

Tobey Maguire

Spiderman himself even knows the importance of saving a dollar. He credits his frugality to his humble upbringing. He lives rather modestly because he doesn't want to have to make "movie after movie" to maintain a certain lifestyle. Maguire's net worth is $75 million.

Photo courtesy of Tom Sorensen via Wikimedia Commons.

Sarah Jessica Parker

While her character on Sex in the City spends like there's no tomorrow, Parker avoids fancy restaurants, dresses her son in hand-me-downs from her nephews, and often has buyer's remorse when she buys new clothes. Her frugality is attributed to her poor upbringing. She grew up as one of eight children in a family that lived on welfare. Her estimated net worth now is $90 million.

Photo courtesy of David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

Renee Zellweger

Being one of the more fashion-forward celebrities, Zellweger is often wearing pricey designer duds when she's on the red carpet. When she's out of the limelight, however, she prefers a more down-to-earth approach. She clips coupons, turns out the lights when she leaves the room and recycles. She attributes her money consciousness to having hardworking immigrant parents who came to the U.S. with nothing. Zellweger's estimated net worth is $45 million.

Photo courtesy of John Harrison via Wikimedia Commons.

Did any of the celebrities on this list surprise you? When do you save, and what areas of your life do you spend lavishly in? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Main picture of Mariska Hargitay courtesy of Daniel Ogren via Wikimedia Commons.