Weasleys and the Problem of Money

[bluesqueak <pipdowns@etchells0.demon.co.uk>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48102

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Darla 
<Talkative_alien_4000 at y...>" <Talkative_alien_4000 at y...> wrote:
>  There's been something nagging at me about the Weasleys lack of 
> money. If they are so hard up, as they appear to be on several 
> occasions (i.e hand-me-down robes, shortage of family owls etc),  
> why did they blow the money they won in PoA on a holiday abroad? 
> Yes, I  realise it is obviously necessary for the story, *grin*, 
> but... wouldn't you think they'd want to save it? Put it aside for 
> school  books etc? Or is it just me thinking it's odd?
>   Darla.

Well, for one thing it *didn't* get entirely blown on the holiday. 
Some of it got spent getting Ron (who after all, had just helped 
save his little sister's life) an brand new, top of the range wand, 
probably from Ollivander's. [Fourteen inches, willow, one unicorn 
hair]. Plus later on in PoA Percy says 'Ron hasn't put all his *new* 
things in his trunk yet" [PoA, Ch.4 p.52 UK hardback, my emphasis]- 
which implies that Ron at least got more new stuff than just his 
wand. 

Possibly (though this is speculation) part of the money was spent on 
seeing the other kids kitted out with new books and new robes.

After all, five kids at school... I worked out what Lockhart's book 
list might have cost the Weasleys in Muggle Money equivalent once 
(ok, I should get out more).

Assuming each book is the full hardback price of 17.00 British 
pounds (common for a UK hardback, and the Lockhart books are 
described as 'really expensive') 

Then each child has to be bought 7 books - that's 119 pounds per 
child.

The Weasley's have five children to buy books for - that's 119 times 
5 or 595 pounds.

Consider that the Hogwart's Book list is probably usually quite 
standard and can either be picked up second hand or inherited from 
the older kids, and you see that the Weasley's are faced with a bill 
for between 4 and 5 hundred pounds that they didn't expect to have.

I'm not poor - but if I got suddenly landed with a bill for 400 
quid, I'd certainly be going OUCH!

So I'm not sure that the Weasley's are as poor as Ron always implies 
and Harry thinks. They may just not have much in the way of *spare* 
money - so when spare money arrives in the shape of the Daily 
Prophet draw, it gets spent on something nice for them all.

Pip!Squeak