Raids got financed just fine in BC/Wrath before LFR was implemented. It might be harder to go back at this point as the playerbase has changed as Blizzard has nurtured people who don't know shit about anything and given them everything that everyone else gets with none of the work required.
Comparing lack of basic necessities in a house and content being difficult is kind of a bad comparison imo. The "more casual" option back in BC was a lower tier raid. You weren't up to speed for BT/Hyjal? You do TK or SSC. You weren't up to speed to TK or SSC? you did kara until you were. Not up to speed with kara? do heroics. Can't do heroics? do normals. Can't do normals? well I guess we have a problem.