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12 Female celebrities on how they spent their first big paychecks

True story: I spent pretty much my entire first “big” paycheck on my first Blackberry cellphone. It was 2012. I’d just scored a spot on the cheerleading team for the rugby team – The Southern Kings (not one of my finest moments), and my first paycheck was substantial, especially for a 16-year-old girl: R2000. Instead of saving that cash, I went straight to my closest cellphone provider and dropped the cash on a Blackberry I’d been wanting forever. I felt quite empowered and proud of myself and my mom was pretty impressed too. That was probably the best part.

And these 13 celebrities, below, also have similar stories about what they did with their first big paychecks. From blowing it all at the Gap to splurging on fancy conditioner to buying cars—or, even funnier, weed—their stories are so relatable. And hilarious. Read on.

Thando Thabethe

“My first job was a promotions job in France and we got paid by cheque. I put the cheque in my handbag and not even two hours later my bag got snatched so I didn’t even get to cash the cheque.”

Kerry Washington

“This is so Bronx girl of me….  Save the Last Dance was my second movie, and we had a per diem. I couldn’t believe somebody was handing me cash, and I literally used to hide it under my mattress for the whole movie. I put myself on a tight budget of what I could spend. And at the end of it, I used all the cash from the three months and bought my first laptop.” — The Hollywood Reporter

Jade Hubner

“My first job ever was when I was a toddler for a toy commercial and then again as a waitress and model. Both times, it went straight into my savings account for my studies. I think the first time I bought something with my savings was for a laptop in high school, clothes and a car at the age of 17.”

Sarah Paulson

“I bought a lot of stuff at the Gap. I was 19. I was still living at home, and I was understudying Amy Ryan on Broadway in  The Sisters Rosensweig. My check was substantial…and I went to the Gap on the daily. I would give Gap presents to all my friends.” — The Hollywood Reporter

Julia Anastasopoulos

“In my first job, I played a nursery school teacher in a margarine commercial. I used the money to buy a MacBook which was a really big deal for me at the time. It really helped take my illustration career to the next level.”

Nicole Kidman

“I bought my mom and dad a washing machine. Later on, I bought some boots for myself that were, like, the coolest boots I’d ever seen in my life.” — Time magazine

Roxane Hayward

“My first job was a television commercial for KFC’s new “Glitter Pops”. I ate enough chicken that day to last me a lifetime! I found a special pair of Italian red velvet pumps at one of Joburg’s finest shoe shops and spent my first paycheck on them. I lived in them!”

Jennifer Lopez

“I was driving a Honda Hatchback that Keenen Ivory Wayans had given me when I was a Fly Girl, and I had been driving it to every audition and everything. And when I got a regular series, I bought a car. I bought a Mercedes. And it was a huge deal. It wasn’t a Hatchback! It wasn’t a Honda….I remember, though, I was signing the lease to the car and I was breaking up with my boyfriend the same week. That’s what I remember. We were in the dealership, and I was crying but I was buying the car, and he was going back. It became a thing, like, ‘I’m gonna be on my own.’ He had been living with me. We had been dating for 10 years. And I was like, ‘That’s it. The Hatchback is out, and so are you!'” — The Hollywood Reporter

Kia Johnson

“My first job was that of a PA Announcer in the then Hyperama store. I used to do this on the weekends. Who knew being on the mic advertising specials was my first taste of where I was meant to be in the media industry. Honestly, I bought a whole lot of crap with my first paycheck, although there were a few things I needed to get as my parents (rightfully so) cut me off and said: “stand on your own two feet.” Whatever was left over was spent on chocolates (I had the biggest sweet tooth), clothes and really nice perfume.”

Tiffany Haddish

“I purchased my house. When I finally signed those papers, I was like, ‘You’ll never be homeless again, Tiffany. I’m so proud of you.’ I cried because now I could really provide for myself. But then the next day I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, you gotta work even harder now to make these mortgage payments!’”

Tumi Voster

“My first job was as a YO.TV presenter and I took myself on a shopping spree for the first time, that didn’t fall under my mom’s budget!”

Serena Williams

“I never touched [my first million-dollar paycheck]—just put it in the bank. And I remember I went through the drive-through to deposit my check, and then they were like, ‘I think you need to come in for this,’ and so I ended up going inside.” — Kneading Dough *

Adapted from GLAMOUR US. Read the original  here

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