Cheapest Ball Pythons??

[artgecko]

I would also look at your setup / equipment cost first... Worry about paying for that, then saving up for the snake. Odds are you will end up paying far more for the heat mat, thermostat, thermometer/humidity probe, and enclosure. You can find good deals on those sorts of things on CL.

As for BPs, like others said, it would be ok to purchase a baby from a local breeder off CL, but make sure the snake has eaten and shed a few times and looks healthy. I would not purchase a re-homed pet. The last thing you want to deal with as a new owner is a URI, mites, mouth rot, etc.

As far as setup goes, you can use a tub instead of a tank / enclosure (as long as it is of appropriate size) and save some $$ that way. I housed my BPs in tubs until I purchased a rack.

I'd expect you would be able to get normals and single gene animals (cinnamon, mojave, pastel, spider, etc.) for your price range.

I noticed you are in GA, as am I, there is a show, repticon, that happens at the Gwinette county fair grounds. The next one is in October. I will link the show info page here. There is a charge to get in, but they usually have a lot of BPs there. I would highly recommend that you do research here and on the fauna BOI on the vendors listed before going though. Some people sell wild-caught or sickly animals. I have purchased all 3 of my BPs there in the past.