We’re not broke. My husband and I both work full-time. We’ve always been careful with money.
So when the exterminator came out, I thought, “Okay, this will be expensive, but at least it will be over.”
Then he handed me the estimate:
- $375 for the initial visit
- $285 per month for “ongoing protection”
Minimum 6-month contract.
That’s $2,085 in six months.
$3,795 in a year.
I just stared at the paper.
“There’s got to be a one-time solution,” I said. “I just want them gone.”
He gave me the kind of smile you give a child.
“Ma’am, roaches always come back. That’s why we recommend monthly treatments. You don’t want them getting established again, do you?”
Translation:
“We’re not here to solve your problem once. We’re here to turn it into a subscription.”
That night, sitting at the kitchen table, I showed the quote to my husband.
He looked at the total and sighed.
“Sara… we’d have to choose between groceries and the exterminator.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“But I can’t live like this. I can’t have the kids eating food from a roach-infested kitchen.”
He took my hand.
“Then we find another way.”