[HPforGrownups] Weasley Family Budget; very long, I'm sorry

[Rebecca Stephens]

No: HPFGUIDX 72669


--- tiggersong <tiggersong at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I've been curious about this issue since CoS. The
> Weasleys are 
> poor. Fine, I can accept that. I'm poor, and have
> been so all my 
> life. What I don't understand is how much money they
> must have to 
> become "comfortable".
> 
> I have to buy things which the Weasleys don't seem
> to need to 
> purchase, such as food, housing, and transportation.
> I'm assuming 
> that the basic monetary outflow is as follows: food,
> housing, 
> clothing, transportation, education, entertainment
> and servicing any 
> debt.
> 
> They don't seem to need to purchase food (I think
> it's in GoF that 
> Molly is seen pouring a creamy sauce out of her
> wand.) And, where 
> ever would Molly go to purchase the bangers and
> other foodstuffs? 
> Does she grow food in her garden? How much land do
> they own?

As I understand, it has been stated in an interview
that food cannot be conjured.  Or rather, that food
that is conjured only lasts an hour or so.  So they
must purchace food.

> Now, I'll give them an astronomical clothing cost.
> Clothing that 
> many growing bodies, many of which are prone to
> creating 
> catastrophe, 
> must be a real menace to the pocketbook. I just
> wonder why Molly, a 
> strong knitter and true master at housekeeping
> skills and spells, 
> hasn't learned a few simple sewing spells. She can
> clean with 
> spells, knit with spells, wash clothes with spells.
> She takes one of 
> the magazines (Witch Weekly? It's in GoF again, I
> think.) for the 
> recipes. There aren't any sewing spells?? 


Molly isn't a strong knitter.  She knits, but not
well.  The sweaters are described as lumpy.  And Fred
and George made a comment about Molly putting forth
more effort since Harry wasn't family.

> 
> Education is another place that clearly eats their
> money up. My 
> daughter is in private school and it's Not Cheap.
> But... every 
> private school offers a good discount for sibling
> attendance. And, 
> those school books are the same from one child to
> the next. Standard 
> Books of Spells, Grades One, Two, Three... Why
> couldn't Ron use one 
> of GredandForge's books from earlier years? Why did
> they need to 
> keep purchasing full booklists? (Well, except for
> Lockhart's books. 
> That ninny just wanted the money! I think I'd have
> made my kids 
> share them out, though. Four full sets of those
> books? Why not get 
> one set and have the kids use them as needed? They
> all have class at 
> different times of the day/week.)

As a college student I shared books with my sister,
who had the same classes.  It was our choice, not our
parents idea.  But it makes for trouble if you both
need it at the same time  (like Fred and George) or if
you both have homework.  And they seem to have
homework rather frequently.  I think it would be very
difficult for them to share books.  I'm not sure why
books wouldn't be handed down, especially from Ron to
Ginny, as there is only one year in between.  However,
when it comes to the twins and Ron, or other two-year
apart siblings they might be afraid to hold on to the
same book for fear the school will change books or ask
for a new edition.  Colleges certainly do that to
squeeze money out of students; or rather, the books
companies do.  Print a new edition and stop selling
the old so the college has to change and anyone stuck
with the old edition is screwed.
 

I have to say that you make good points.  People have
gone round and round about the Weasley's finances. 
Best anyone can come up with is that they need to be
poor to fit the proper character mold.



Rebecca

ps  I think a galleon is more than $5 because they
only had one in the bank in COS.  But the money is
never going to add up no matter what you do.  It just
doesn't make sense that they only had one galleon in
the vault in COS, but Percy bet 10 with Penny.


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