Quick Links

Most of the time, celebrities make headlines for financial reasons because they're either spending $2 million on an 18-karat gold toilet or filing for bankruptcy.

Celebrities are often known for making large amounts of money and living lavish lifestyles. Frugal isn't an adjective you normally use to describe celebrities. To prove that, there was big news when Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly spent six figures on their daughter Blue Ivy's first birthday party. And then, there's the Kardashian clan and their frequent, over-the-top spending. But not all of them spend like millionaires. There's an extraordinary act of couponing that's not always practiced by the majority of people.

What might come as a surprise is that some celebrities clip coupons and hunt for deals before they go shopping. For some of these celebrities, couponing comes from being raised by poor parents from humble beginnings. For other celebrities, it's a reflection of their ability to appreciate the value of a dollar saved, despite millions of dollars sitting in the bank.

Like the rest of us, celebrities use coupons at grocery stores, department retailers, and eating out. Some celebrities love to find a good bargain. Others use them for just about anything from Bed, Bath & Beyond to Target. Just because you're rich and famous, doesn't mean you can't appreciate finding a good deal and saving money. There are some celebrities and well-known figures who are frugal with their spending. Some might even call them penny pinchers. The following 15 rich celebrities live more modestly than we do.

Ashley Greene

Ashley Greene is a rising star who rose to fame with the roaring success of the Twilight Saga, but that doesn't mean she's going to start spending all her riches.

In an interview with Marie Claire, Greene explained, "I'm lucky because my dad taught me to be frugal and save. And that's important because I want to know that I don't have to take an acting job for two or three years if I don't want to and that I'll still be able to make my house and car payments and buy food for my dogs."

Apparently, her father taught her the insides and outs of money, which is a good thing because she took his practical advice and applied it to her own life. Now that she's 30 years old, she has a comfortable cash cushion to rely upon in times of need. After all, you'll never know when you need to use your savings account.

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is a popular actress who has starred in many films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Couples Retreat, When In Rome, The Boss, and Frozen. Yet, despite her fame, she appreciates a good coupon or a great deal when she sees one. Bell said, "I use a lot of coupons. The best coupon you can get, possibly in the world, is the Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupon."

Bed, Bath & Beyond is a large national chain with a variety of home goods, including bedding, kitchenware, and decor. Bell apparently gets so excited about their 20% off coupons that she can't get enough of them. Like the ones she gets in the mail aren't enough for her. She has partially denied committing a federal offense, saying, "I'm not saying I did do it, but I may or may not steal them out of my neighbors' boxes sometimes...So her neighbors may or may not want to keep an eye out for her on coupon day from now on."

Bell's down-to-earth attitude on couponing helps her become more relatable to people. On top of that, she and her husband, Dax Shepard, protect their two daughters from the paparazzi that constantly chase her, which is a positive action.

Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger admitted that she's a bargain hunter at heart. The former Pussycat Doll and X-Factor judge also admitted that there are certain items when she truly does like to splurge on. However, she mentioned that she doesn't worry about her splurges because she's always keeping her eyes open for a good deal, and she believes that finding an excellent discount will make up for her splurge.

Scherzinger often searches for deals at the grocery store. Yet, she continues to spoil herself with designer goods. She said, "I grew up with no money so I still get the best bargains at the grocery store, but at the same time if there's an Yves Saint Laurent purse that I want, I've got to have it right now."

Scherzinger revealed her frugal side when she talked about exchanging gifts with her ex-boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton, a British Formula One driver. According to Scherzinger, she loves extravagant presents, but handmade gifts are "probably the best thing."

Hilary Swank

Oscar award-winning actress, Hilary Swank, is a completely legit woman who isn't embarrassed to use a coupon at the store. When asked about the usage of coupons, she responded, "It's how I grew up and it's in my bones." We have to admire how she is brutally honest and definitely deserved everything that came her way.

Swank also mentioned, "I would use a coupon; just because I have some money now, I wouldn't? That doesn't make sense to me. I see it as a dollar in my pocket. People around me laugh, because I have a deep understanding of what a dollar gets you and how far to make that dollar go."

It seems that she literally took her Million Dollar Baby role and applied it to parts of her life. However, it's unlikely that she'll actually need to learn how to make a dollar go further, but it's nice to know she knows the basics of money.

Roy Hibbert

Roy Hibbert is a Jamaican-American NBA center who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the 17th overall pick of the first round in the 2008 draft. However, his rights were traded to the Indiana Pacers, where he signed his first professional contract. He later re-signed with the Pacers on a four-year $58-million contract, but ended up exercising his player option. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Denver Nuggets.

Hibbert said that he's careful with his money, despite his large paycheck. He elaborated on his response, saying, "I guess I don't want to end up being one of those stories where the guy ends up spending more than he has and owes money to the IRS and stuff like that. I just want to be able to take care of my family and live modestly."

Now that's a superb example for a professional athlete to set.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

One of the best ways to help someone learn about saving money is to give him/her an incentive to save it. Therefore, coupons are the perfect idea to cut the costs of spending.

If you need another incentive to clip coupons, look no further. Buffy the Vampire Slayer clips coupons! Sarah Michelle Gellar is a longtime actress. Not only can she kick butts, but she also knows how to save on everyday items. She shared her frugal philosophy, asserting, "We shop at Whole Foods, but we ask which fish is on sale. On sale doesn't mean it's bad! It probably just means it's overcaught. And I clip coupons all the time. Why should you pay more for something that someone else is paying less for?"

That being said, if an item is good enough for Gellar, then it should be good enough for us too. Money-saving tips can help us out in the long run.

Renée Zellweger

Not every famous person forgets where they came from, especially if they started out with a less-than-average family. Renée Zellweger is the daughter of Emil Erich Zellweger, a former mechanical and electrical engineer, and Kjellfrid Irene, a Norwegian nurse and midwife who moved to the Texas to work as a governess.

Zellweger's father lost his job during Renée's college years so she worked as a cocktail waitress, which taught her a lot of things about life in general.

Renee summed up her early life, saying, "I was raised in a household where we were very frugal." She's one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, but she always remembers to stick to her roots. Although her preparation for roles in the mainstream films Jerry Maguire and Bridget Jones’s Diary were under observation, especially when it comes to her weight, she ignores the backlash and continues to do what she does best—acting.

Jay Leno

Jay Leno is a celebrity who knows the value of a dollar. Basically, he grew up doing everything for himself. The son of a Scottish mother and an American-born Italian father, Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York and moved to Andover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Andover High School and matriculated to Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a degree in speech therapy and opened a comedy club.

The former Tonight Show host recalled his childhood, saying, "When I was a kid, I had two jobs. I worked at a Ford dealership and at a McDonald’s. I’d spend the money from one job and save the money from the other. That’s still the way I am now. I live on the money I make as a comedian, and I put all the TV money in the bank. I’ve never spent a dime of TV money...ever."

Leno must've had an insane amount of money in his savings account as he has a classic car collection. He apparently did a great job on saving his money.

Kate Gosselin

Television personality Kate Gosselin thinks coupons are just common sense. She said, "No matter how much money you have, it's just smart to use coupons. It's like free money in your pocket. One week, I remember saving more than half my grocery bill that week with coupons. I was beyond thrilled."

Kate is a controversial mother who was married to fellow television personality Jon Gosselin for 10 years from 1999 to 2009. The couple raised an atypical family of eight children-a group of sextuplets (Aaden, Collin, Joel, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah) and a pair of twins (Cara and Madelyn). Following the birth of the sextuplets, the couple were featured on the NBC reality television show Home Delivery and later received their own reality show, Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Couponing all comes down to the large family. When you have eight kids to take care of, couponing is certainly more of a necessity than an option.

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest stars in the country music world, but she still does the grocery shopping for her home, and she has admitted to couponing. The American Idol alumna has been a vegan since she was a teenager, and she refuses to let fame change everyday chores like shopping. She said, "Doing the weekly shopping, I stock up on stir-fry kits, Amy's meatless burgers, and armloads of onions and garlic. I put onions and garlic in everything. Ack-as usual, I forgot my coupons. (Yes, I do clip them!)" She has also admitted that she does her own laundry because she finds it creepy for a housekeeper to touch her underwear.

Underwood is not only beautiful, but also talented and frugal. Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher is one of the luckiest men in the world. Furthermore, the couple has gone to Subway so often that they've joked that it was their place.

Carmelo Anthony

The attention New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony generated in an interview with a Denver-based news station in 2011 when he dropped the bomb that he still uses coupons even though he has millions. In the interview, Anthony said, "I go to the supermarket, make sure I get the newspaper and tear the coupons out; save a dollar or two."

Carmelo is an excellent example of a person who had humble beginnings, overcame adversity, and carried over his life lessons to become a responsible adult. He was born in the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn, New York. His father died of cancer when he was two years old. When Anthony turned eight, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he honed his athletic and survival skills.

Anthony is another basketball player that sets a positive example with his substantial wealth. He hasn't forgotten what it's like to not have a disposable income. That being said, he set an excellent example for his kids by not letting all of his fame and wealth go straight to his head.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga attracts a lot of attention from the media. She enjoys shocking us with her weird outfits consisting of haute couture fashion and outrageous shoes. Despite all of the fashion and fame, she decided to remind people that just because she's super famous, it doesn't mean that she forgot the value of a good deal. She tweeted, "Why do people look at me like I’m crazy when I use coupons at grocery stores or try bargaining at retail, I’M FROM NEW YORK WHERE IS THE SALE RACK."

Obviously, Lady Gaga took pride in her New York upbringing and ignored the judgement when her inner deal finder comes out. She's human, just like the rest of us, so finding deals on the sales rack is awesome. She's a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to hunt for deals.

It's nice to see that the fame hasn't changed Lady Gaga too much.

Halle Berry

Oscar-winning actress, Halle Berry, is one of the most famous women in the film industry. She began her career as a model, entering several beauty pageants, before switching to mainstream films. She has starred in movies such as Boomerang, The Flintstones, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, X-Men, and Swordfish. She also serves as a spokeswoman for the American multinational cosmetics company Revlon.

Berry is always in season. She's mesmerizingly beautiful and down-to-earth. She also happens to be a coupon clipper who presents coupons to the cashier at the grocery store. She has admitted that even though she has a lot of money, she's a frugal girl who believes in saving up for a rainy day. We're sure that her son, Maceo, and daughter, Nahla, approve of that belief! After all, don't kid wants to go through a rainy day without any fun activities? Way to go on your parenting skills, Ms. Berry!

Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay has been a resident on our television screens for years now, but she still remembers what it was like to grow up without having much money. Her mother, Jayne Mansfield, was killed in an automobile accident on a stretch of U.S. Route 90 between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on June 29, 1967. Her boyfriend, Sam Brody, and their driver were also killed. Hargitay was left with a zigzag scar on one side of her head at three and a half years old. Her brothers, Miklós and Zoltán, were also in the car, but left with minor injuries. After their mother's death, the three siblings were raised by their father, Mickey Hargitay, and his third wife, Ellen Siano.

Hargitay said, "I make a lot now, but I don't feel that way, because I was poor and had no money for a lot longer than I've had it. As an actor, if this show ends next year, then what? As an aging woman, then what? I'm saving money to live on, for the future. There are not that many roles for women, and I've been blessed with one of the great ones."

Hollywood has improved on finding roles for aging actresses, but the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star remains a practical, level-headed woman.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a television personality and talk show host who is married to ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. Even with two celebrities in the Hasselbeck household, they still coupon in front of their three kids, but why?

Tim reportedly planned for post-professional football life in his late 20's, but Elisabeth wasn't ashamed of the fact that her husband uses coupons. She said, "I married a coupon guy. In the long term, he is so on top of things. He's very aware of what things cost and what it means to our situation, and I thank him for that." The ultra-conservative talk show host and Survivor alumna also enjoys saving money, so couponing became a family hobby in their home.

Moreover, when Elisabeth was a co-host on The View, she once defended men who used coupons. To her, a man who uses coupons is a man who can manage his money well.