Lea Michele: "I'm Not a Splurger," But Here's Why I Spend Money on Travel

No matter the riches that come with her fame, Lea Michele is all about experiences over things. (And that's right in line with her generation's preferences.)

"I'm not a very big splurger. I don't shop a ton," she told Jet Set. "When I spend money, I spent it on vacations and recharging."

Rather than hoofing it to far-flung places, Leah says she's about comfort: "I visit the places that I love, and I’m sort of a repeat traveler. I love to travel and it’s been so exciting for me, especially this past year to go on some adventures with my friends and with my family."

But that's not to say she doesn't want to try new things, too. "I’m the most excited to get to travel and see a bunch of places that I’ve never been before," she says. "I’m stopping in Seattle for one of my tour dates and I’ve never been to Seattle before. I can’t wait to see it. I can’t wait to explore the city. I’m going from London next week. I have a sold-out concert there. It’s about doing what I love and getting to have these incredible experiences along the way."

Beyond just the joy and recharge factor of travel, though, Lea says vacation actually improves her work.(Experts agree.) "It helps me do better at my job," she says. "It really does make me feel so good and makes me work even harder.

So where has she been recently? Well, "I just went on an amazing trip to Hawaii with a bunch of my girlfriends, then I went to Napa a few weeks ago," she says. "That’s my time to recharge."

-Reporting by Jocelyn Vena