Keira Knightley has made a name for herself in film and in the glamorous world of modeling, which has guaranteed her a hefty salary; according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List, she’s one of the wealthiest actresses in the U.K., with an estimated net worth of $50 million. But that doesn’t mean she lives an opulent lifestyle.

The 29-year old says she would rather not live a decadent life if it means excluding the people she cares about, and for that reason, she allots about $50,000 per year to herself from her pay no matter how much she pulls in from her films and endorsement deals.

“I think living an expensive lifestyle means you can’t hang out with people who don’t live that lifestyle. It alienates you. Some of my best most hilarious times have been in the least luxurious places,” she said.

Knightley is so committed to living a “normal” lifestyle that she didn’t go the usual celebrity route when it came time to find a wedding dress. Rather than commission a big-name designer to whip something up, she looked in her own closet and chose a Chanel gown that she’d previously worn to an awards ceremony. When it got soiled, she said, she wasn’t too upset.

“It was my something old. And I liked not making a big deal about it. I just wanted to be in something I had had a great time in, something I would have a great time in again. It’s now got red wine spilled down the front. It’s quite impressively splattered. But, hey, a good night is a good night and when a dress has had its time, maybe it’s had its time. I’m pretty sure I can get it out but, if I can’t, I’m happy with the memory of a good night and the story of how the dress got destroyed,” she said.

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