There's no way could the 7th Heaven family could have gotten by on a minister's salary. A BuzzFeed original analysis of the finances of five TV families.
Just how realistic were the financial scenarios of our favorite TV families? Your best guess is the right one: not very. However, certain shows gave us an illusion of plausibility thanks to likable, supposedly "modest" set-ups. With some help from our BuzzFeed data team, we were able to take a general look at five TV families to see what their finances might have been like.
"7th Heaven"
Place: "Glen Oak," CA
Aired: 1996-2007
Background: OMG, living in this house must have been the worst. The Camden Family, lorded over by minister Eric Camden, started out with five children, until the twins were born in third season, bringing the household tally up two adults and seven children for a total of 9 under one roof. As a stay-at-home mom, Annie didn't bring in much income, so the family relied fully on Eric's salary. They had certain economic advantages — the house would have presumably been paid for by the church; the kids seemed to have attended public high school (although Ruthie had a very brief stint at private school). As the story progresses, certain of the Camden kids do go nearby colleges, however most of them hold down jobs at the same time so it would be safe to assume (considering the family's size and traditional ethics) that the kids were expected to take out loans and work through school to support themselves.
Source: bi.kotek.pl
"7th Heaven" Financial Summary
The Camdens were losing a buttload of money each year.
"Full House"
Place: San Francisco, CA
Aired: 1987-1995
Background: As the host of local news show Wake Up, San Francisco, Danny Tanner probably made a pretty decent living as a local celebrity. However, supporting three children without a full second income (mom was deceased), plus adding two additional household members (Uncles Jesse and Joey) would have brought additional costs. Although Jesse and Joey worked, it's safe to say that the incomes from their chosen careers — rock star, voice actor, and "advertising agency" — probably didn't contribute much to the household budget. Jesse seemed to "contribute" more by offering childcare, while Joey seemed slightly more responsible (and therefore more likely to pay for groceries and household items more often).
Source: thrifteye.com
