Okay I have to admit this one has always confused me to no end. Arthur works in the Ministry. That is basically the wizard parliment, goverment, and law enforcement. They make good money. Yet in the books and films The Weasleys are dirt poor.

I get havin seven kids and a stay at home mother can put a cramp in your budget. However he works in the government! He should be makin enougg to be at least upper middle class or just middle class. Unless he's the equivalent of the mail room man (post office people aren't paid that shaby either) there is a severely messed up rate exchange with wizard money. Or its simple and Molly and/or Arthur have a drinking or gambling problem that isn't discussed in book or film. With seven kids I wouldn't blame them if they had magical visectomies and tube tying done.

In the Ministry, they didn't consider Arthur's department very vital during Voldemort's reign. Perhaps this is what caused the severe difference in galleon pay rate. Some jobs in the law enforcement and government have positions that do not pay as high as should be because the importance of the department is cut down. Especially since during the reign of Malfoy's influence, Arthur's position would have been borderline poor. That and there might be some massive expensive he's having to pay for housekeep and children?

It was either this theory or Arthur blows all his money on that muggle stuff he has hidden in the shed.

True. And employing idiotic berks like Lockhart didn't help. The git was pushing his garbage. As a friend pointed out that paying seven tuitions.doesn't help. You would think though that Bill and Charlie would send some of their paychecks to their families being the good sons they are. Its not improbable that like the muggle jobs that are more dangerous you get paid more since the the number of years you'll be doing the job isn't very high.

Unless their parents were like most people of older generations and refused help from their children or grandchildren due to old timey beliefs that the parents are the providers and caretakers not the children. In which case even if their older children or any of the children did try or offer to it would be refused even if thanked for the offer

This is true as well I suppose. I still don't see how in the world they were so broke.

all of the reasons combined? Ginny was their only daughter it is liable they doted on her as well behind the scenes. I really could not see mr. and mrs. weasely allowing their children to help even if they offered.

I bet in all honesty it was not just seven children or seven intuitions but a combination of many things as well as some of the muggle items mr weasley had a fancy for could be quite pricey especially if they come from other countries. The exchange rate between england and america for example is alot of pounds for one american dollar.

In this case say he bought a toaster for example that was made in the usa not china. In england a similiar toast be say twenty pounds. in america the same toaster is twenty dollars which is about twenty thousand pounds...give or take.

in this sense exchange rates would require more pounds per something or less pounds per something depending on which country he was buying from.

plus shipping and handling.