What? I don't see feeding live as a "last resort", I see as my first as do alot of other people. Feeding f/t is alittle bit safer, yes, but I wouldn't go as far as "last resort".
As for cost look for local people. I have to drive 25 min to get my rats a week but I pay 10 dollars for all my snakes food (10 of them) the blues get 2 meals each (smaller prey) and the burm takes a jumbo rat so I can getting them pretty cheap.
And that is a tiny little thing. Get that snake some food. If it won't take rats give it 2-3 mice, depending on size of mouse.