Baby chicks were $1/chick on sale at the end of the fall, but we were not quite set up for them yet. At the end of the spring, the price increased to nearly $4/chick! But the kids had been saving their money, and we were all excited to hear their little peeps! Now we are waiting for fresh eggs from our Backyard Chickens. Many municipalities allow for a few feathered fowl.
What was the price increase? $4-$1 = $3 per chick
What was the percent increase of the price?
(New price-old price)/old price = (4-1)/1= 3 = 300% price increase
How many times more did we pay in the spring than we would have in the fall? 4/1 = 4. We paid four times as much in the spring as we would have in the fall.
Pets provide a great diversion from the screen, offer comfort and recreation to children, and are a healthy place for children to spend their money, not to mention being a natural context to introduce the birds and the bees (e.g. Mom--what are the ducks doing???). I used to be die-hard against cats underfoot or a dog shedding in the house. But the light in my children’s eyes over their beloved chicks, kitties, rabbits, ducks, or whatever else our current pet happens to be makes the added family members worth it.