Did Willow and Tara Even Pay Rent

[Inappropriate Starches]

Was anyone else bothered by the fact that they brought Buffy back and then sat her down to tell her she was broke? I get that Willow and Tara moved in originally to take care of Dawn but then they live there (and eventually just Willow) and it doesn't even seem like they offer to help out. Maybe we're meant to assume it's an offscreen agreement, but I never got that impression.

It's not that big a deal and I still love Willow and Tara to death but that always bugged me and I wonder if anyone else was bothered by that.

[Silver]

I have thought about this this myself. It appears to me that they never do put anything in towards the rent or do any shopping for food. When the basement was flooded no one even offered to put any cash towards the repairs. Yes, they were looking after DFawn in the beginning but after Buffy's resurected role (literaly) of mother, they should have help financially. Also there is no mention of the rent or repairs to house while Buffy was dead.

Perhaps Giles had some input?

[Randi Giles]

This always bugged me. I mean yeah eventually Tara left, but what exactly was Willow doing while Buffy was working at Doublemeat Palace. Even if she was at school you obviously couldn't live in that house for free. A part time job would have been nice.

[h0stile17]

Maybe they both put the magic mind mojo on Buffy and made her think they had paid rent.

[The Girl In Question]

^^Lol.

As a response to the question, it's always bugged me. Some people tried to brush it off and say that it was because they were in college. I went to college with plenty of people who had full.part-time jobs along with kids so there's no excuse. Plus they used up all of Joyce's money, too. Wth? Why didn't they pay for anything? It's just as much as their responsibility as Buffy's.

[El Diablo Robotico]

Yep, I've mentioned it before myself, and seen others bring it up, too, so you're definitely not alone. It's like the writers got so focused on the gritty realism of "Buffy vs. real-life" and wanting to put her in this bad financial situation, that they ended up making it completely unrealistic by ignoring this major plot-hole.

Willow's parents were both professionals, so they were obviously doing well financially. If Willow couldn't get money from them, she still could've gotten a part-time job, as could Tara.

By the time Buffy comes back, the money is almost all used up; what were they planning to do if the spell hadn't worked, and she'd stayed dead? They would've had to have gotten jobs then, right? But it did work, so instead they just say, "Pfft--not our problem, even tho we're living in your house, eating your food, and using your electricity, water, and telephone"?

Nice friends you've got there, Buffy...

[tkts]

We had a pretty long discussion about this in the "Little stuff that bugged you" thread if you're interested in reading it. It starts at Reply #255.

[AngelFaith]

This definitely always bugged me. As people have pointed out, Willow could have easily gotten a part-time job to help Buffy out. Or even moved back home or back on-campus once Buffy came back to life. There was no reason for her to still be in the house, except if she was helping out.

And now that I think about it, where did Willow get money from? I mean, we see her over the later seasons buying magic supplies, always in new clothes, taking Dawn out for burgers/movies etc. Did she just hit up her parents whenever she felt like it? That goes for Buffy and Tara too (Buffy pre-Joyce's death, obviously). None of these girls had jobs and I don't think America has Austudy like we do in Australia.

[buffyfan21]

This fact has always bugged me, too. I just like to assume that they must have helped Buffy out in some way off-screen. With them living in her house and all, it's just too upsetting to think that they never lifted a finger to help her out. Perhaps Joss and Co were too concerned with other plot points to address the lesser, more mundane issues. Still, though, it would have been nice to see the gang helping Buffy out more...or it all. Perhaps, as you said, we were meant to assume they were helping her out, but I never really saw it implied at all. The only person we ever saw help her on-screen was Giles, and Xander when he tried to cut Buffy a deal with the plumbing repair guy. Maybe the gang was purposefully not shown helping Buffy as a means to further emphasize her isolation and suffering. Either way, it bugs me and I like to believe they helped.

[Eric]

IMO, Willow and Tara resurrected Buffy simply to put her to work at the local Double Meat Palace.

[buffyfan21]

Apr 12, 2010 8:44:32 GMT -5 Eric said:

IMO, Willow and Tara resurrected Buffy simply to put her to work at the local Double Meat Palace.

Haha, talk about evil!

[Zombierella]

It always bugged me that Tara and Willow never paid any rent. I understand that they are busy and all but they are living at Buffys home for free even before Buffy dies. After her death they should have contributed towards bills, food, etc. They must have done some food shopping though. There's no way they could have survived on only what was in the house.

[Inappropriate Starches]

Well I got the impression that while she was dead they were still using the money joyce left to keep the house running. Again that I understand because they were taking care of Dawn, but when Buffy got back they were basically freeloading their very fragile friend because they were going to school. I go to school and I have to pay my own rent in my apartment. What a novel idea, lol

[Jezebel Jinx]

I've always been under the impression that Willow and Tara didn't pay rent or help with the finances. Now maybe I missed something that gave the impression they did pay for things but to my recollection they didn't.

It bothered me that very shortly after Buffy came back from the dead the others piled a bunch of bills in front of her and said hey you're broke. If the writers had Tara or Willow say something like 'Don't worry about this bill I paid it' or 'I went shopping and bought the food for this week' I would have never felt that Willow and Tara were mooching off of Buffy & Dawn.

[alex_krycek]

i didn't think they paid rent either. but they did raise and look after dawn. i'm sure that IF they couldn't have raised buffy from the dead, they would have all gotten jobs to help raise dawn and pay for the house etc.

[elenasaur]

That has always really bugged me.
I mean, I guess they thought they were doing her a service by taking care of Dawn and everything, and then staying around to help Buffy. Raising a kid is a lot of work, but it isn't like Dawn was a ten year old. She could be left alone occasionally. Willow and/or Tara could have gotten a job and helped out financially.

Seriously though? They resurrect Buffy, and she's not alive/undead for a week before they just throw it all on her lap. 'Sorry we pulled you out of heaven and everything, but we spent all your money, and it's time for you to get a job.'

[Silver]

I'm surprised that Willow didn't come up with a 'magical' solution to the problem, after all by this stage it was starting to become second nature to her.
She could have said - 'Gotta a problem? hey no problem I'm a uber-witch.'