For Bella Swan, the main character in Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series and the recently released “New Moon” movie, money and the problems it can cause are a reality. In fact, before she meets handsome and wealthy vampire Edward Cullen, Bella and her divorced parents Charlie and Renee don’t have the luxury of spending frivolously. Concerns about daily expenses, college tuition and retirement are very real for the Swans. Could these Twilight stars have made ends meet raising a daughter on the salaries of a teacher and a sheriff?
What were Bella’s finances like when she lived with her mother?
Charlie and his wife, Renee, divorced when Bella was a baby. He remained in the small town of Forks, Washington, while his ex-wife and daughter moved to Arizona. According to Phoenix Home Zone, the cost of living in Phoenix is higher than the national average, and Bella’s mother would have made approximately $41,000 a year as a teacher, based on data from Simply Hired.
While we know little about Bella and Renee’s financial situation, readers do learn that Bella’s mother, a teacher, and Bella were on a tight budget. We also know that Renee was a free-spirit who was always trying something new–from yoga classes to different churches. This knowledge, based on the cost of living and her salary, leads readers to believe that Bella and her mother may have had some debt, credit card or otherwise.
What was Charlie’s financial situation when Bella moved in?
When Bella moved to live with her father, Charlie, in Forks, Washington, her financial situation may have improved some. According to Simply Hired, the average small town sheriff job in Forks, Washington pays approximately $34,000. When he sent child support to his wife and daughter in Phoenix, he was probably on a tight budget. When Bella moved in, however, his finances likely improved some. Considering the substantially lower cost of living in Forks (almost 20 percent less than the national average according to Simply Hired), Bella and her father may have been able to live a debt-free, though simple, life
In addition, readers and viewers never see Charlie or Bella as big spenders. Content to save their pennies and eat out at a local diner once a week, the Swans probably had little to no credit card debt.
What about college for Bella and retirement for Charlie?
Readers know that the college situation was a prickly one for Bella and her father. Bella had some money put away for college, but expressed concerns about taking too much from her parents and hindering their retirement. Luckily, Bella was content with a less expensive university in Alaska, and later considered Dartmouth, paid for by her wealthier husband.
Though Twilight reads as a bit of fiction and fantasy, there’s nothing fictional about the financial situation that author Stephenie Meyer paints. The Swans were, for the most part, able to keep their credit card debt down with their conservative spending habits, and as a result, are one of the few fictional families in books and movies that provide a good example for real life folks.
