Too Expensive!

I had a customer come into the store today, who was struggling with green algae in her tank. 
Which can be a rather typical problem with customers though the reasons for having the problem varies. 

And she was looking to get some live plants in the tank, to help with the algae. 
Which the moss balls usually help a bit with preventing algae from growing.
And I suppose the live plants would also help because they'd be using the same nutrients the algae needs to grow in order to grow themselves....
So I could see the logic behind it.

Only the woman was so unprepared to do a planted tank.
The fact that she couldn't just plop a plant in and leave it alone....was surprising to her.
-I mean the mossballs you can totally do that with. Toss it in the tank and you're good.

But the actual aquatic plants? No.
You need to have certain gravel and/or 'plant food' to help the plants survive and such. 

She was like ()_() How much gravel would I need?
Well she had a 50 gallon tank.
So she would need at least 50lbs of plant gravel to fill the tank. 
Unless she wanted to just like 'spot' it. Do plant gravel around where she wanted the plants and such.

But it quickly became clear that she was looking for....well a cheap solution. 
As to basically every thing I suggested she would go "But that's expensive!"

Yah...having a large fish tank can get expensive. Why is this a surprise to you?

So I was looking to find other solutions. 
And discovered that her main problem with the tank is she has it directly in front of a window.
So sunlight is shining in on the tank as that's how she puts light in the tank.

*exhales*
Direct sunlight causes algae. That's her problem.

So really the easiest 'inexpensive solution' would be for her to move her tank away from the window. 
It would probably also help keep her fish from dying as the sun shining into the tank could also do extreme temperature changes to the water, which could stress out the fish.

She was less than inclined to move her tank though.
Looking for ways to 'cover it' and such.

And in the end. 
She decided to get a mossball to try out.
Even though she kept complaining that it was 'too expensive.'

*shakes head*
At the register she ended up deciding to not buy it. 

Which is so...crazy to me.

Customers are always complaining that things in our store are "Too Expensive." 

This can of catfood is $2.29?! That's too expensive!
This 5lb bag of bird bedding is $10? That's too expensive!
These filter cartridges are $15 for a 6 pack? That's too expensive!
This mossball is $8? That's too expensive!

Like....people....if you aren't willing to pay the price for items...why did you get the pet in the first place?
*shakes head*

It's not like everything in the store is going to be under $5.
Pets are expensive.
Companies want to make money.
Products are going to cost things. 
It's how it goes.

Like I can see their logic.
Like would I spend $10 on a hamburger when I know I can get one for $1 at a different place? Most likely not.
Would I spend $45 on jeans when I know I can get them for $12 elsewhere? Probably not.
Would I spend $8 on a rock the size of a quarter when I know I can get a larger rock of the same type elsewhere for the same price? Probably not.

So I get it. 
There's a bit of perspective involved on what you consider 'expensive." 

But like....for me, most of the time, if the item is under $20. 
It's not expensive. 
It's fine to buy it.

I know others don't see it that way. 
They have different budgets, different expenses, different life situations that cut into the paycheck.

I get it.

But at the same time I don't.

I've probably been around animals too long lol. I'm quite aware of the cost it takes to keep said animal in a clean environment, well fed, and taken care of. 

Honestly. If it's for the animal...how can it be too expensive?

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi