5 things smart people never pay full price for

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Rich people don't accumulate wealth by spending their money carelessly. Some wealthy people are self-made and used to thrifty living, while others just prefer to spend less and save more.

Either way, there are certain things successful people simply don't pay full price for.

Here are some of the top things that rich people and celebrities avoid spending their money on.

1. Cars

According to Brian Davis, real estate investor with Spark Rental, successful people never pay full price for cars.

"The rich know that everything in life is negotiable," said Davis. "Every service, every commodity, even many physical products. And the trick to negotiation is finding other things the selling party wants, besides money."

He went on to explain that car salespeople and dealerships are striving to meet quotas as well as price points.

"A savvy buyer might show up on the last day of the month and say ‘I'm buying a car today. I might buy an Infiniti or I might buy an Acura, but I'm not willing to pay anywhere near full price. What is the absolute lowest price you can offer me on these three models?'" said Davis.

Related: The Least – And Most – Expensive States to Own a Car

It's not just successful people who don't have to pay full price for cars — the rest of us can cash in on this strategy, too. If you're in the market for a new car, Davis recommended collecting internet quotes on the models you are interested in, researching the wholesale prices and being willing to walk away if the salesperson won't give you the deal you desire.

2. Retail goods

Wealthy people might enjoy perusing the aisles of popular luxury retailers, but the truth is that they rarely spend money there. Millionaire Corner, a wealth management news site, surveyed 1,200 investors to ask which retailers they actually shopped from. Among the respondents with a net worth of $5 million or more, Home Depot, Lowe's and Target were the most popular retail stores. Nearly half the respondents said they like to shop at Costco, while a third shop at Walmart.

Bargain retail chains aren't just popular among successful people — celebrities love these stores, too. Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum and Kylie Jenner are all Target fans. Jessica Alba, Zac Efron and Shia LaBeouf hit up the local Home Depot, and Britney Spears, Rihanna and Justin Bieber have been spotted at Walmart. Finally, even Jimmy Kimmel bought his wedding band at Costco. Stars — they‘re just like us!

In addition to shopping at discount stores, the wealthy love clipping coupons. Despite having a net worth that Forbes pegs at $31 million, Carmelo Anthony uses coupons to cut his grocery bill. "I go to the supermarket, make sure I get the newspaper and tear the coupons out; save a dollar or two," Anthony told CBS Denver.

Self-admitted cheapskate, and actress, Kristen Bell also loves to use coupons when shopping. "I almost exclusively shop with coupons," she told talk show host Conan O'Brien. The actress, who jokes about nicking her neighbor's 20 percent off Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, said, "If you go and buy a duvet or air conditioner or whatever, you could be saving upwards of $80."

These days, you don't need to grab a flyer at the grocery store or snag your neighbor's mailers — you can easily score incredible coupons online. Discounts on everything from clothing and electronics to diapers and makeup are available at the click of your finger. Some of our favorite online coupon sites include Coupons.com, RetailMeNot.com, SlickDeals.net, DealNews.com and CouponSherpa.com.

3. Travel

The richer you are, the less you pay for certain luxuries — including travel. According to a survey by Fidelity, 55 percent of credit card holders have rewards credit cards. While cash back was the most popular reward, free travel also ranked high on the list.

Successful people use their spending power to score everything from free flights to first-class upgrades and access to premier boarding rooms. And when you have a lot of money, you can easily put more on a credit card — and pay it off — to rack up as many points as possible.

However, there are ways you can score a luxury travel experience at a discount, even if you aren't wealthy. For example, there are many travel rewards credit cards out there for regular consumers and, with a little strategizing, you can score free airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars or first-class upgrades. There's even a service called JetSuite that offers next-day deals on private jet flights. Right now, the company is booking seats starting at just $129.

4. Real estate

While the average person pays about a 6 percent commission fee to a real estate agent, successful people tend to pay much less — especially when selling their homes.

"Successful people never pay a 6 percent commission," said Sissy Lappin, author of "Simple and Sold" and founder of ListingDoor. "They always negotiate when they are selling a home."

This strategy is particularly beneficial if you’re selling a home that’s worth millions. For example, a $2 million home could net a real estate agent a $120,000 paycheck if he or she takes the standard 6 percent fee. Negotiating the rate down by half saves the owner $60,000, and the agent still walks away with a fat paycheck.

Even if you aren’t in the market for a multimillion-dollar home, you can still negotiate your way to a better price. According to Zillow, shoppers in a buyers' market can score great deals by "asking for the moon." Start by making an initial offer that’s at least 10% under the price you're actually willing to pay and ask for any furniture and appliances you desire.

You should also ask the seller to pay all the closing costs and set a closing date that works best for you. Best-case scenario, the seller accepts. Worst-case scenario (as long as you haven’t offended him or her), the seller counters.

5. Higher education

Many private colleges slash prices for families that are rich enough to afford full tuition. Known as merit aid, this discount is used to lure academic all-stars to the school or make sure the institution enrolls enough wealthy students to meet financial targets.

Among the dozens of elite private schools that provide financial aid unrelated to athletics or need, George Washington University offers funds to 20% of freshman; Tulane University to 37%; and Washington University in St. Louis to 14%, according to the Washington Post. And in the 2013-14 school year, Duke University provided scholarships worth an average of $56,000 a year to 67 freshman with no financial need.

Merit aid might not be available to all students, but there are still ways to get a four-year degree for free. Forbes reports that there are about a dozen schools in the U.S. classified as "tuition-free" institutions. For example, Barclay College is a four-year Bible school that provides a full tuition scholarship to every student who enrolls at its Haviland, Kan., location.

Prestigious conservatory Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia covers the tuition of each admitted student, and America's service academies — the Coast Guard, Air Force and Military and Naval academies — don't charge tuition, but they do usually require a service commitment of five years after graduation.

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