I feel like modern people are not sufficiently despising the Bennets for being filthy rich and saving exactly nothing. Probably because a lot of people are under the misapprehension that they are poor. They're not, they are in the top 1% of income for their era. Compared to the average earnings at the time, their yearly income is around £1.5 million.
But lets make it more accessible and say they have an income of $500,000 USD. Every single year. Every single year since their children were babies. Babies cost almost nothing. A nursemaid is like £10/year and baby clothes are white for bleaching and are passed on through the children. The expenses at this time are very minimal.
Mr. & Mrs. Bennet had $500,000 for at least 15 years when the girls were small and saved exactly $0. Instead, Mrs. Bennet hosted parties where the food was 50x better than Lady Lucas's and, I don't know, bought herself fancy lace. Mr. Bennet probably purchased books. The education budget for their children was basically zero because they never had a proper governess.
Imagine the article, "I am a housewife. My husband and I make $500,000 per year, though about $200,000 of that must go to running our massive estate that we inherited and don't have to pay a mortgage on. We have no savings. When my husband dies, my daughter and I will only be left with only a tiny amount of money ($50,000 every year without lifting a finger) and the estate will go to a cousin. My daughters have no education and no money to inherit. I don't know what to do!!!"
Wouldn't you be reading that in absolute disdain? It is totally ridiculous that neither parent saved a single shilling. It is so stupid. They are both wasteful idiots. They both deserve our disgust.
