MARIAH CAREY - CONSERVATIVE CAREY BANKS HER MILLIONS

Savvy MARIAH CAREY has hardly touched the reported $26 million (GBP13.7 million) advance she received in a deal with VIRGIN RECORDS in 2001 - because she considers the cash an investment.

The pop superstar tells men's magazine BLENDER she's "conservative" and "practical" when it comes to spending money, and she'd much rather put it in the bank so she can one day retire in style.

And while she admits to treating herself to items of jewellery, she can't understand celebrities who spend their money on flashy cars.

She says, "I haven't bought a fleet of cars. I don't know about cars... I do have a Mercedes, but living in New York I don't care about what I roll in. For me, it's just a place to put my bag."