Do you know what I find remarkable? How quickly she adapts to her rapid change of income. I believe she was practical both by nature and (later) neccessity. Even so, she was used to a very different lifestyle. I know I'm probably not expressing this very well, but it's really a feat for a nineteen year old to adapt to a very reduced income, become the manager, and resist the attempts of her immediate family to push her to unneccessary luxuries. Usually it's the other way round: the mother checks the daughters. It honestly astounds me. Elinor presumably has filial respect and filial affection for her mother, so it would be even more difficult to play that role.