If you're getting into the reptile world for the money, then you're in the wrong in it for the wrong reason, that's me being straiht forward. Things happen, snakes die, they can die during shipping. Anything can happen and go wrong. Then you have to look at the price you're going to be paying for mice/rats, and if you breed your own, then you have to look at the cost of food, bedding, materials and such.