Where does Twilight get money?

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,161]

That's not really a subject I see the show covering, but I wouldn't mind the comics making a mention of it!

 

In any case, I'd say it's a combination of tax and maybe something else that's normal in Equestrian society, but unheard of in American culture.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

Guys, you're all assuming Equestria runs solely on money rent, which isn't surprising considering that's the only kind of rent we know in a modern capitalist society. However, it is only one of three forms of rent that date back to whenever someone decided people should pay for their dwellings. There is also rent in kind, which means that if you have a job that produces products such as farming, whoever owns the land is entitled to a certain percentage of what you produce while you are entitled to the rest. I don't think the Apples fall into this category mind you, and if they do, only some of their rent is in kind.

 

The third type of rent though is one that my personal headcanon has the most of Equestria running on, or at least more ponies are under this system of rent than any other, and that is rent in labour. What that means is that you might do a job, but you won't get paid in exchange for being able to live rent free in whatever space you occupy. Twilight is the town's librarian, and Fluttershy is the reason why the town isn't overrun by bears or a swarm of rodents. Because they may need to pay for things like food, perhaps they are paid a dividend to live off of for their additional necessities and probably a little bit for pleasure use.

 

There are exceptions though. I like the idea that Rainbowdash built her own home and maybe in exchange for airspace, she is asked to keep an eye on the weather, but in her case, she may actually own her home, which is a rarity in a rent in labour system. Speaking of Rarity, she may only get a small dividend, or possibly none, since she is able to sell her labour, and the same can be said for the Apples and anypony else who makes products they can sell. They may pay some degree of money rent too, proportionate to the amount of land used, so the Apples probably pay more than everypony else. Pinkie my get a smaller dividend because she works part time for the Cakes in addition to throwing parties.

 

What this all means though is that few ponies own their land, but in exchange, homelessness isn't a big issue as everypony can be assigned work, usually linked to their cutie mark, and a place to live. Exceptions include Rainbowdash and the Rich family, the latter of whom would have bought their home in the off chance it wasn't built from the ground up to their liking.

 

Otherwise, the land is crown land, which means it's owned by Celestia who passes off the task of allocating it to the various mayors, but who does have the power to choose who occupies certain spaces if she wishes, hence why she was able to quickly assign Twilight to the Golden Oak Library. She may have given the title of the Crystal Empire over to Cadance, and I would hope she shares the rights to the land with Luna. She may have a council who decides how many bits are sent to each town for dividends and upkeep, and how it's used may also typically be up to each town's mayor. Perhaps they're given a monthly or annual budget. Also, because Twilight's castle came from a magic chest, it belongs to her and possibly the rest of the mane six, hence no need for rent even now as she joined the ranks of home owners.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Dulset Tarn 441]

@

I don't think anyone was making that assumption or that the concept of rent was even ever brought up at all.

[Bird Mom 900]

I would agree with a few others, she get's it from Princess Celestia/Luna/miscellaneous. They're royalty, so I would expect they get some money as gifts, or as mentioned, tax payers..

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

@

I don't think anyone was making that assumption or that the concept of rent was even ever brought up at all.

 

I was thinking about it.  I wondered how each pony gets to live where they do.  I can't imagine Pinkie Pie makes a lot of money. Maybe Twilight doesn't get a whole lot of money because she doesn't actually need a whole lot of money.

[Tom Snyder 4,112]

I didn't think my joke was that funny about twilight and her parents, but i'll take it. 

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I was thinking about it. I wondered how each pony gets to live where they do. I can't imagine Pinkie Pie makes a lot of money. Maybe Twilight doesn't get a whole lot of money because she doesn't actually need a whole lot of money.

My point exactly, in fewer words. If ponies don't have to pay rent or utilities, if the latter even concerns most ponies, and nopony has a car due to living in a more traditional society, then they don't need nearly as much money to live. The only reason I know so much about rent systems is because they have been brought up in a couple of the classes I've taken, but as a Brony, I've contemplated whether any of them might apply to Equestria. I imagine those who earn wages from selling their products are responsible for upkeep, maintenance and various material costs, but their overhead would be considerably lower than it would be in our world. Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Dulset Tarn 441]

My point exactly, in fewer words. If ponies don't have to pay rent or utilities, if the latter even concerns most ponies, nopony has a car due to living in a more traditional society, then they don't need nearly as much money to live. The only reason I know so much about rent systems is because they have been brought up in a couple of the classes I've taken, but as a Brony, I've contemplated whether any of them might apply to Equestria. I imagine those who earn wages from selling their products are responsible for upkeep, maintenance and various material costs, but their overhead would be considerably lower than it would be in our world.

That's great and all, but still totally irrelevant. The thread is bout how Twilight gets any income at all, and don't try saying she doesn't need any. She still eats.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

That's great and all, but still totally irrelevant. The thread is bout how Twilight gets any income at all, and don't try saying she doesn't need any. She still eats.

In my post I mentioned dividends. Maybe she doesn't get a dwelling dividend, but maybe she gets a princess dividend. Perhaps now that she's a princess she may have some power over what she gets, but knowing her, I doubt she takes advantage of it if that's the case. Also, she probably still resumes her librarian duties in the castle. Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Also, she probably still resumes her librarian duties in the castle.

That's totally legit, and I'm very surprised you're the first one to posit that.

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

My point exactly, in fewer words. If ponies don't have to pay rent or utilities, if the latter even concerns most ponies, and nopony has a car due to living in a more traditional society, then they don't need nearly as much money to live. The only reason I know so much about rent systems is because they have been brought up in a couple of the classes I've taken, but as a Brony, I've contemplated whether any of them might apply to Equestria. I imagine those who earn wages from selling their products are responsible for upkeep, maintenance and various material costs, but their overhead would be considerably lower than it would be in our world.

 

Sounds just a little bit like idealized communism to me, but I'm no expert on the matter.  Sounds pleasant though.

 

That's great and all, but still totally irrelevant. The thread is bout how Twilight gets any income at all, and don't try saying she doesn't need any. She still eats.

 

Okay, back on the rails.  I'm going with the opinion that she gets a royal stipend as a princess.  But then again, we haven't seen anything about how taxes work in Equestria...

[AlbaTross 1,586]

That's totally legit, and I'm very surprised you're the first one to posit that.

True. You would think that would have come up by now. Somepony needs to do that job. How else would anypony be able to take out any books? Ponyville can't become illiterate going forward just because their library burnt down. Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

True. You would think that would have come up by now. Somepony needs to do that job. How else would anypony be able to take out any books? Ponyville can't become illiterate going forward just because their library burnt down.

 

Won't her duties as the Princess of Friendship eventually preclude her from being a full time librarian?

[AlbaTross 1,586]

Won't her duties as the Princess of Friendship eventually preclude her from being a full time librarian?

Yeah, you'd think that, huh? I guess that's one loophole. Then again, she's still allowed to have the bulk of Ponyville's books. She could theoretically horde them, but she's not the type to. I'm sure she also enjoys her old job even if she doesn't need it. Also, the crown could theoretically still nail her on land rent, even if she owns the building on it. Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

Yeah, you'd think that, huh? I guess that's one loophole. Then again, she's still allowed to have the bulk of Ponyville's books. She could theoretically horde them, but she's not the type to. I'm sure she also enjoys her old job even if she doesn't need it.

 

She'd run the library, but not man it all the time.  She'll have to hire a helper or two.  Who in Ponyville would like to work at the library?

[AlbaTross 1,586]

She'd run the library, but not man it all the time. She'll have to hire a helper or two. Who in Ponyville would like to work at the library?

True. If I were royalty I would delegate duties like that. She could possibly make poor Spike do it as an excuse for the writers to write him out of the story yet again. Edit: I just realized we're getting way too into a discussion about economics. MLP is not Spice and Wolf. Then again, this beats the topic about where ponies poop. Edited January 29, 2015 by Tross

[Plageius 263]

She uses a spell to generate bits.

/thread

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

I just realized we're getting way too into a discussion about economics.

 

I can't help it, I majored in it.  Also, it comes just by the definition of the OP.  Talking about money means talking about economics.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

True. If I were royalty I would delegate duties like that. She could possibly make poor Spike do it as an excuse for the writers to write him out of the story yet again. Edit: I just realized we're getting way too into a discussion about economics. MLP is not Spice and Wolf. Then again, this beats the topic about where ponies poop.

Another perfectly valid idea, as anyone but Spike would probably demand a salary!

[Lordav 3,427]

The money tree of course

 

[Dulset Tarn 441]

The money tree of course

Nah, that's Applejack's thing.

 

 

[Lordav 3,427]

Nah, that's Applejack's thing.

 

har-money.png

 

Well in tha case.... theres only one other thing left

 

[Tual 152]

She asks Hasbro for some of the cash from the merchandise they sell of her. 

[Guest]

She's probably blackmailing Celestia, lol. 

[True Rarity 1,240]

Ponyville's library may have been burnt to a crisp, but that doesn't mean she's not still a librarian. I'll bet the crystal tree's library is at least half as big as Celestia's.

 

Now, I agree with Chikorita Brony. What about Fluttershy? We know she doesn't just grow stuff in her garden, because she's been to the marketplace.