Sarah Michelle Gellar remains a pop culture icon due to her unforgettable role as Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although the show ended almost 20 years ago, Gellar still has a special place in the hearts of the public. The culturally significant role saw her earning an incredible $100,000 per episode, then $350,000 per episode for the final season. Subsequently, Gellar has become an extraordinarily affluent woman.

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With a whopping net worth of $30 million, one would assume that Gellar enjoys a lavish lifestyle. But that's not the case at all. In fact, the actress is extremely frugal and opts to live as modestly as possible. Here's how Sarah Michelle Gellar lives below her means.

10 Freddie Prinze Jr. Is Also Super Rich, But The Couple Keeps Things Low-Key

Having been married for just under 20 years, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. are quite the power couple. Prinze Jr. has a net worth that's analogous to Gellar's, yet the couple aren't living it up. Instead of surrounding themselves in garish opulence, Gellar and Prinze Jr. stay grounded in reality.

Both avid chefs who have released their own cookbooks, the couple prefers to make their own moreish meals as opposed to hiring personal chefs. Likewise, they do their own household chores in lieu of hiring cleaners.

9 Gellar Still Collects Coupons

Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, using coupons? You better believe it. Gellar has never let her fame and fortune get in the way of her coupon-cutting ways. "I cut coupons to this day," Gellar told CNBC Make It. This is one of the major ways in which the actress lives below her means.

8 She Never Pays More Than She Has To

Being a super rich celeb, it would be pretty easy for Gellar to buy anything she wanted without even taking a peak at the price tag. But she ensures that she never pays more than she has to and keeps a watchful eye on the price of everything she buys.

"I'll never forget, one time I was at Bloomingdale's and they had these coupons - Bloomingdale's has really good coupons - and I was taking them all out... And someone behind me turned around and said, 'I can't believe how long you're taking. Why are you using coupons?'" the actress told CNBC. "I remember looking at her like, why should I pay more?"

7 She Says Fame Shouldn't Lead To Reckless Spending

There are countless celebs who were once on top of the world with multimillion dollar net worths, only to be left destitute after years of reckless expenditure. For instance, 50 Cent lost all his cash by overspending on everything from personal grooming to luxury cars.

So, Sarah Michelle Gellar is mindful of the precarious position her hefty bank balance could leave her in. "Just because you're successful doesn't mean that you should be errant in your spending. I've never believed in that," she acknowledged.

6 DIY Helps Her Save A Ton On Essential Items

Constantly buying essential everyday items can eventually burn a hole in one's pocket. That's why Sarah Michelle Gellar saves a ton of money by eschewing trips to the store and opting for DIY projects instead.

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As she told Good Housekeeping, she has a "secret cleaning weapon", which consists of "A mix of hydrogen peroxide, water, a bit of dish soap, and a squeeze of lemon in a spray bottle to remove stains."

5 Lessons From The Grocery Store

Shopping in the discount aisle is paramount to Gellar's frugality. Although she enjoys shopping for good quality food, she rarely pays full price for it. Gellar revealed an important lesson when it comes to saving money on groceries.

"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," she told Self.

4 She Doesn't Believe In Frivolous Purchases

As any celeb who has ended up bankrupt finds out, frivolous purchases can quickly lead to calamity. While Gellar's $30 million net worth may seem like a lot, she acknowledges that she could blow it all in a series of unwise purchases.

"I still don't like writing big checks, I don't like making big purchases," she told CNBC, adding, "I will go back and stare at a leather jacket for a couple days before I even purchase it."

3 She Knows What It's Like To Grow Up Without Money

Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't have a privileged upbringing. Raised by her single mom, Gellar struggled financially as a child. When she was awarded a scholarship to study at an elite prep school in Manhattan, she was bullied by the other kids for being poor.

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"I was different and that's the one thing you can't be at school, because you're ostracised. I didn't have the money these kids had," she poignantly revealed to the Independent.  Accordingly, Gellar never forgot where she came from.

2 She Owns An Electric Car

Electric cars may carry a weighty price tag, but they are far cheaper to run in the long term. According to the Brindley Group, "electric vehicles are likely to cost you less over the course of ownership. And based on fuel costs alone, they're much cheaper to run than fuel alternatives too." Sarah Michelle Gellar drives a Prius plug-in, so saves a lot of money by not relying on gas.

1 This Is Her Philosophy When It Comes To Spending Money

Sarah Michelle Gellar's mantra for living below her means? "Why should you pay more for something that someone else is paying less for?" she told Self. It's this philosophy that has helped her maintain her millions despite having been out of the limelight for a significant period of time. Fully aware that fame is fleeting, Gellar is ensuring that she never has to worry about money in the future.

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