Which Means You Now Own:
Total First Year Cost: $2,480
Simple enough, right? Just a bird in a tree.
Not by a long shot. To get the obvious out of the way immediately, these are both living things that will require maintenance and upkeep. In the case of the partridge, expect to shell out about $560 a year taking care of your new winged responsibility.
As for the tree: if you're getting one for a Christmas gift, it's probably an ornamental pear tree, which, exactly as the name implies, is a tree grown mostly for decorative purposes. In North America, the most common variety of ornamental pear tree is the Callery. It's a beauty to look at when it's in bloom. Unfortunately, that's also when its scent, which has been described as "reminiscent of rotting fish, chlorine, or semen" will likely be at its most pungent.
Also, it should go without saying that the tree isn't going to take care of itself. In fact, the Callery pear tree is more susceptible to storm damage and requires selective pruning during the early stages of its life to keep it healthy. You don't even know what those words mean, so you should probably get yourself a gardener. To be on the safe side, let's give them five hours per week at $8 per hour. That's another $160 added to the monthly bills, for a yearly total of $2,480 after just one day of gifts.
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