Burlesque star Dita von Teese, 37, used to be married to rock star Marilyn Manson but the pair divorced in 2007 and she now lives in Paris and Los Angeles with her boyfriend, Count Louis Marie de Castelbajac.

WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE CAUTIOUS WITH MONEY OR LIBERAL WITH IT?

I'd say cautious in some respects and liberal in others. For example, I refuse to go to the hair salon and have a $300 hair dye job – I do it myself at home with an $8 dye kit. And I've always been a saver – when I was 18 I had three jobs: working in a department store during the day, a strip club at night and as a go-go dancer in night clubs. Because I didn't want to be dependent on anyone else,

I saved at least 15pc of everything I earned and invested it in mutual funds (the American equivalent of unit trusts). Not only do I still have those investments, I still have some of the cash I started saving.

People thought I was crazy to be so serious about money at such a young age, but I was not your average stripper – for me it was business and I was thinking of my future.

AND IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU LIBERAL?

I also know how to spend extravagantly – I think nothing of spending $8,000 on a corset for my show. My accountant once said he couldn't understand how I spent $70,000 on a single dress, but then he came to my show and saw how lavish it was and told me afterwards that now he understood.

WHAT'S THE SECRET OF MAKING MONEY?

In my case it's doing what you love, not just for the money. I started my striptease act because I thought I could offer an interesting and unique approach and I built it up over a period of 17 years.

You can tell if somebody is in something just for short-term gain because they don't know how to build up a reputation over a long period. I spent all my initial profits reinvesting in myself and making a better show for next time because I believe in what I am doing.

DO YOU STILL SAVE 15PC OF EVERYTHING YOU EARN?

No, now I save a lot more. I try and live as if my career could be over any minute. I don't kid myself – just because people book me now, it doesn't mean the interest will continue.

I'm painfully aware that if I invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into a new show, people still ask me for the 'champagne glass' routine or the 'martini glass' routine I created years ago. It's a bit frustrating to be advancing your act and find people still want the old one.

HAS THERE BEEN A REDUCED DEMAND FOR YOUR SERVICES BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION?

I didn't see it in 2008, but I did feel it a bit last year. Two years ago I was doing a lot of big corporate events and parties, but then people stopped throwing so many parties and fewer billionaires booked me to dance for them on their yachts.

But I was glad because I wanted to focus on shows for the public anyway instead of private events – it's more gratifying.

HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY DIFFICULT LESSONS ABOUT MONEY BY MAKING MISTAKES?

Yes, I learned when I was 18 about not ruining your credit rating spending on cards. When I first had credit cards I let a large balance accrue. It took me a long time to shake off the debt and for a while I had a very low credit score and couldn't get a car loan.

Now I really value my spotless record – I pay my balances off every month and that means I can buy whatever I want. And I don't focus on what my card limits are – I have girlfriends who see they have a $10,000 limit and max it out as if it's their natural born right.

HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM THE IMPROVED EXCHANGE RATE BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE DOLLAR?

A little, but it's still not great. When it was $2 to the pound I was on what I called the 'British pound diet'. If I wanted room service over here I would make the conversion back to dollars in my head and it just seemed too expensive so I would end up just having soup – a financial reason to stay thin.

Now the conversion rate is a bit better for me, but I have also figured out I am entitled to a 'per diem' subsistence expense so I can offset my food bills against tax.

HOW DID YOUR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE YOUR ATTITUDE TO MONEY?

I grew up in Michigan in a big Victorian house, but my father was frequently laid off from his job as a factory machinist. My mother had to work as a manicurist and I was always aware we didn't have much money.

I hardly ever went to the movies and never asked my parents for anything because I thought we wouldn't be able to eat if they gave me a dollar.

So from a young age I began making my own money – selling home-made lemonade, holding garage sales and babysitting. My first proper job at 15 was working in a pizza place and then a lingerie store.

NOW THAT YOU'RE BETTER OFF HAS THAT MADE YOU HAPPIER?

I think it is very easy for people to imagine that if you become famous and successful all your worries are gone. For me it hasn't worked like that – the more money I make the more I have to spend.

My attorneys' bills frequently come to more than $50,000 each, which adds up to a lot every year. I never even conceived of that kind of expense when I was starting out, but I need attorneys to sort out my contracts and protect my image rights.

HOW DO YOU INVEST?

I'm not sure I can answer that intelligently because I delegate it to my accountant. I sit down with him three times a year and he looks me in the eye and explains everything, but it goes in one ear and out the other. I know he puts money into various mutual funds for me and he has classed me as a low-risk investor, so he's not being too risky. And I have a retirement plan.

DO YOU OWN PROPERTY?

No – I live in LA and Paris, but in both locations I rent. I still haven't decided where I want to settle and I can't buy until I'm positive that I'm where I want to be.

SO WHAT HAVE YOU SPENT YOUR MONEY ON?

Aside from my expenses and my savings? I love cars and I have a 1939 Chrysler New Yorker which I bought in the mid-1990s, a 1965 Jaguar S-type and a modern BMW Z4 that's only a couple of years old. I use the BMW most of the time because the Chrysler is a bit difficult to drive in Hollywood, but I keep it because it's a sentimental part of my past.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST BUY?

The best thing I did when I moved into my place in LA was buy a completely new set of furnishings. I had just left my former husband and I was getting a divorce, but I had not taken any furniture with me.

I spent around $60,000 redecorating and furnishing my new place to create my own beautiful little refuge. I initially thought I'd only be spending around $10,000 but I got carried away – at least it made me feel better about my life.

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR APPROACH TO SHARING RESPONSIBILITY FOR MONEY IN MARRIAGE?

I have always insisted on fairness when it comes to my relationships. If I have moved into a home with a guy I have always paid my own personal bills and contributed to household expenses, plus I take care of the cooking, cleaning, shopping and laundry. So it works out more than fair – I have never been a 'kept woman'.

There have been times I've been offered a credit card and told to go shop, or told that I could give up my career and be taken care of financially, but I have never wanted that. It's very important for me to be independent. Regardless of whether that may be a threat to some men, it's who I am.

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR WORST BUY?

That old Jaguar car. I bought it one night on eBay for $35,000 when I'd had too much champagne. The main trouble is it breaks down nine out of 10 times whenever I drive it, but I still have hope. It's in the garage being repaired even now.

HOW DO YOU PREFER TO PAY FOR THINGS: CASH, CARD OR CHEQUE?

I like to use a card to keep a record of my expenses and collect air miles. When I was younger I was duped into signing up for store cards in return for 10pc discounts on the purchase I was making, but I won't do store cards any more.

I can't imagine anyone who travels not having an airline card – it's the best thing. If I book economy it means I'll usually be upgraded to business class and if I book business I'll usually be upgraded to first class. I have two American Express cards, a United Airlines Visa and an American Airlines MasterCard.

HOW DO YOU TIP?

I tip exactly as you should depending on where you are. In America I give a least 20pc, but in Europe my friends tell me not to overdo it and just leave 10pc. And I will always tip extra for exceptional service.

DO YOU BANK ONLINE?

I tend to leave all that to my accountant and two personal assistants, but I do like to check my credit card transactions and balances online.

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