NeNe Leakes Shares Her Biggest Money Mistake and the Shocking Store She Loves
The O.G. of The Real Housewives of Atlanta is very rich and this is why.
The life of NeNe Leakes is definitely a fabulous one, but that doesn't mean The Real Housewives of Atlanta comedian splurges away all of her coins. In fact, NeNe recently told InStyle that she's "actually a really big saver."
NeNe got real about all things money during her conversation with InStyle, revealing that she's a bargain shopper, hitting up discount stores like Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nordstrom Rack, and T.J. Maxx for most of her fashion needs.
But her favorite is the Dollar Store. "I love it there. I really wish I could open one up," she told InStyle. "If you want some good-ass wine glasses, you go to the Dollar Store. Most wine glasses are very thin and break when you put them in the dishwasher. Well honey, the Dollar Store has got some thick ones, same with martini glasses. Whenever I have a party at my house, I go buy boxes of plain white plates there too. The sales person always looks at me and goes, 'Oh my gosh, that’s NeNe Leakes at the Dollar Store!' I’m like, don’t worry about me. You can have all of this expensive stuff at your party, but your guests will be eating off of Dollar Store plates and they don't even know it."
So what does NeNe splurge on? "I can tell you what's worth a splurge to me: eating. People like to talk about going to clubs and stuff, like my club is the restaurant. I'm the girl that orders everything off the menu. One of this, one of that, I want to taste everything. I like to splurge on rounds and rounds of good cocktails too," she shared. "I also spend a lot on my vacations. I fly first class, but honestly I would rather fly coach in order to have a great hotel. You don't really know if any of them are clean, so I want to sleep in a nice hotel and order good room service."
However, NeNe isn't afraid to admit that she's made some mistakes with her money, too. "I regret purchasing a wig here or there, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes they give you wigs that are shedding or that are messed up, and they’re so expensive!" she said. "You want the best quality hair, and then you need to have somebody install it too. It costs a fortune."
NeNe also shared that she received the best financial advice from her aunt, who raised her "to buy something for yourself out of every paycheck" as well as "to date up." "Don’t be worried that people will call you a gold digger," NeNe said. "You should dig for gold."
But of course, getting the opportunity to join RHOA in 2008 "changed everything," NeNe said. "I was a stay-at-home mom before the show and my husband was the breadwinner. He gave us a good life, but once I started on Housewives I got all of these offers — Broadway shows, appearances, everything. My finances changed a lot," she explained. "And now everything has to be nice in my home [laughs]. Give me the best TV, the best pots and pans. You won’t have to replace them as quickly!"
NeNe has certainly made the most of her high-profile platform since becoming a Housewife, scoring major acting gigs on Glee and The New Normal, touring the country with her comedy show, and opening up her very own Swagg Boutique in Georgia, just to name a few of her gigs. Yes, NeNe is very rich, and we are taking notes.
Find out how NeNe's friend Marlo Hampton makes her money, below.
