That’s my concern, too.
When CB’s got popular in the 70’s, it was great because they were so cheap and license was nothing more than apply and pay.
We like our walkie talkies in the summer but the pair I have burn through batteries like no tomorrow. Need to look for something better or get rechargables. (Add to list of things to buy.)
We got a battery charger from either hsn or qvc— Renuit-pro from Viatek that recharges alkaline batteries. Right now, it seems to be working as advertised. It’s going to save a LOT of money in the long run. It’s supposed to be good for about 70 recharges, I think.