You can brew beer pretty cheap if you want to, check you tube for videos. If I don't count the value of my time, I can make a cheap beer for about $.025/pint USD. IPA's are more since lots of hops and other specialty ingredients are added. Medium ABV porters and milds can be done for less than $.50/pint. Avoiding taxation is a fun hobby. The chance that you're really going to spend less money is slim, because once you get hooked on brewing, you'll want more and more brewing gear. There's usually used stuff for sale so look around before you buy new, but check new prices first so you don't over pay for the used items.