Former President Jimmy Carter resides in a home valued at $210,000 and frequents his local Dollar General for shopping.

James Earl Carter Jr., born in Plains, Georgia on October 1, 1924, is the son of James Earl Carter Sr., a prosperous businessman and farmland investor.

His mother, Bessie Lilian, served as a nurse at the Wise Sanitarium, which is also Carter’s birthplace. From 1937 to 1941, Carter attended a local high school. In 1943, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of joining the military, much like his father who served in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps during WWI, by entering the Naval Academy.

In Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas’ book “What Makes a Marriage Last,” as cited by People, he stated, “I just felt compatible with her.” After graduating from the Naval Academy, they got married in 1946. After retiring from the Navy to concentrate on his wife, four children, and the family business, he built a ranch-style house for his family in 1961 when they were in desperate need of a home. According to Zillow, the house is estimated to be worth $209,996. It also served as his residence after he left the White House. As reported by the Washington Post, “He returned to his roots because he didn’t want to capitalize financially on being in the White House.” While many of his predecessors and successors often take advantage of post-presidential popularity, Carter knew it wasn’t for him. He stated, “I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t blame other people for doing it. It just never had been my ambition to be rich.” Even after selling off the peanut business due to heavy debt, he was able to lead a comfortable life, thanks in part to his $217,000 annual pension.

According to the 2019 fiscal year budget from General Services Administration, Carter cost taxpayers $456,000 compared to the $952,000 that was budgeted for former president George H. W. Bush. Barrack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush cost $1 million.

It’s not uncommon to see him buying his attire from the neighborhood Dollar General. When it comes to travel, he opts for commercial flights over private ones. After his tenure in the White House, it came to light that the ex-president took up teaching roles at Emory University and a Baptist Sunday School.