Why ‘Stranger Things’ Actor Caleb McLaughlin, Who Reportedly Earned $250,000 Per Episode, Didn’t Splurge For 5 Years | Today Headlines

Not only is Caleb McLaughlin one of today’s best young actors, he’s also financially responsible for his age.

McLaughlin’s career took off in 2016 after “Stranger Things” premiered on Netflix. While the new season of the hit show is currently airing, CNBC reports that it didn’t make any major purchases until the previous season.

The big buy

Reportedly earning $250,000 per episode, McLaughlin didn’t get much of his money back until after the third season last year, when he bought a Tesla Model X, which is selling at retail. from $106,590depending on the point of sale.

Although Teslas were far from cheap, the purchase was still a smart one as owning a car was a necessity for him after getting his driver’s license.

where it all comes from

His keen sense of financial literacy stems from his childhood upbringing by his parents.

“I always felt like I had a smart mindset. My parents always provided,” he said. “They say, ‘It’s your money, you can spend it however you want. want, but as parents, we’d like to teach you how to budget and not spend just because you can.'”

Seeing dollar signs from a pre-teen

The financial success behind “Stranger Things” wasn’t his first rodeo with the big responsibility of managing a large sum of money.

At the age of 10, McLaughlin was earning big playing Simba in “The Lion King” on Broadway.

“I was 10 and making money like an adult would, you know? I was like ‘Oh, can I just have pizza? Or can I have more, like two slices of pizza? Where can I get more video games? Can I have a PS3? he says. “I bought things the kids wanted, but never made a major purchase.”

One of the keys to Caleb McLaughlin’s financial well-being

As McLaughlin helps spread financial literacy to young people through his partnership with Step, he shared a quick tip with the outlet: have separate accounts for day-to-day expenses and larger purchases.

“I would never look at my account and be like ‘oh, I have a lot of money to spend now,'” he told the outlet. “I don’t really go out there and buy myself things that I really want. I buy the things I need.