Reese Witherspoon: I grew up in a really thrifty family so i don’t spend a lot of money on things that are frivolous

The Water For Elephants actress — who has children Ava, 11, and seven-year-old Deacon with former husband Ryan Phillippe — insists her worldwide success hasn’t made her extravagant and she has kept the principles of her frugal upbringing in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I’m pretty good with money. I’m really thrifty. I grew up in a really thrifty family so i don’t spend a lot of money on things that are frivolous,” she said.

“I have a house, two cars, I have a regular life.”

While she says she leads a “regular life”, 34-year-old Reese Witherspoon — who recently announced her engagement to Hollywood agent Jim Toth — recently splashed out on a barn for the pets she keeps with her children.

“I’m building a barn. I think it’s cool. I really do have animal friends, I have donkeys, I have goats, I have pigs,” she said.

“I wanted the donkeys to be called Honky Tonk and Badonkadonk but the kids weren’t so into it. Do I milk them? No. The goats are kind of worthless. They’re pretty nasty and don’t do anything. But I have chickens and they provide eggs.”