Why were the Weasleys poor?

[justcarol67]

bboyminn:
> 
> Well, here's the thing, the Weasley's aren't poor, they are just
> normal. I mean can you honestly say that you or any other person in
> this group can and would give your kids each and every little thing
> their hearts desired? Can you spell 'spoiled rotten'?
> 
> The Weasleys are working class like many of the working class people
I live with in small town America. They are able to provide for the
basic needs of their families, and they are able to do so nicely, but
excess and extravagances are kept to an absolute minimum. They have
money, they just don't have money to burn.
> 
> Have you ever seen a Weasley go hungry? I don't think so. Mrs.
Weasley seems to serve up a huge feast at every meal. Just feeding
that brood must cost a fortune. 
> 
> Everyone in the Weasley family has every thing the /need/; food,
> shelter, clothing, education, etc. Just because Ron can't have
> everything he /wants/ doesn't mean he is poor. Remember the most of
> Ron's griping about being poor is in response to either Harry or
Draco who, relatively speaking are rich by comparison. 
> 
> So, the real problem in not that the Weasleys seem poor, but that
they are not rich and therefore able to endulge every extravagant whim
of their children. From a moral and ethical perspective, that is, from
> the perspective of building healthy, humain, ethical children, it is
> better to be slightly poor than to be extravagantly rich. 
> 
> Just one man's perspective.
> 
> Steve/bboyminn
>
Carol responds:
I agree that the Weasleys aren't poor (except by Ron's definition--he
reminds me of my sister when she was a teenager), but I wouldn't call
them "working class." Arthur's job is definitely white collar, not
unskilled or even skilled labor. I'd say they were lower-middle class.

Also, another poster mentioned tuition, but tuition is never mentioned
in the books. Dumbledore tells young Tom Riddle that there's a fund
for people who can't afford books and school supplies. If Tom needed
to pay tuition, surely DD would have mentioned that, too.

Re the Weasleys' expenses, growing their own food (at least the fruit
and vegetables) would help cut food costs, and having three robes for
everyday wear (to paraphrase Harry's first Hogwarts letter) would
certainly cut down on money for clothes. No need to worry about the
latest fashions. Evidently, unlike many Muggles their age, the young
witches and wizards aren't even interested in shoes!

As for shelter, I get the feeling that their house is old and paid
for, maybe inherited from Arthur's father if he's the oldest son. (I'm
only guessing here, of course.)

Carol, wishing she could magically cool her apartment instead of
paying a hundred-dollar electric bill in the summer months