When budgets get tight, it is normal to wonder if you are being self-indulgent. You worry if your hobbies need to take a back seat to dropping money on stuff for your kids or whatever expenses might come around. If you are having these thoughts, not only should you not stop making your own beer and wine, your savings are even more reason to keep doing it. Making beer and wine in tough economic times is a win-win. Let’s look at the numbers!

A standard bottle of store-bought commercial wine can range from $10 to $30 or more, depending on the brand and quality. Similarly, a six-pack of craft beer can cost anywhere from $10 to $15. That can add up real fast. With home brewing and winemaking, the initial investment in equipment and supplies may seem daunting, but it is important to remember that these items can be used repeatedly, leading to significant savings over time.

A basic home brewing kit can cost around $100, while a winemaking kit may range from $150 to $200. These kits typically include all the necessary equipment, such as fermenters, airlocks, siphons, and bottles. The only recurring costs are the ingredients, such as malt extract, hops, yeast, and grape juice concentrate. By your tenth wine kit, your equipment kit cost drops to $0.66 per bottle. For beer, it’s about $0.21! If you are reading about this via the newsletter, you are already making wine and beer which means you already covered your equipment costs. Not continuing to use your gear is the worst possible return on investment.

As for your ingredient cost, a five-gallon batch of beer, which yields approximately 52-56 bottles, can cost around $25 to $50 in ingredients. This equates to a cost of $0.48 to $0.96 per bottle. Similarly, a six-gallon batch of wine, producing around 30 bottles, can cost between $60 and $150 in ingredients, resulting in a cost of $2 to $5 per bottle.

For wine, spending an average of $12 per bottle on commercial wine, you will spend $4380 per year if you go through a bottle per day. At the worst-case scenario of $5 per bottle for the most expensive wine kits, your costs go down to $1825 which is a savings of $2555 annually.

At a 6-pack of beer per day with an average cost of $10, you are looking at $3650 per year. At an average of .78 per bottle when you brew your own, you are looking at $1708 per year which is a $1924 savings.

The savings increase even more with higher quality products like Label Peeler’s Original Beer Kits or Finer Wine Kits. A Forte Series FWK is comparable to $20-$30 bottle of commercial wine. If that is what you are used to drinking, trading down to a $10 bottle probably won’t be that enjoyable, and it will cost you more.

In these challenging economic times, it is natural to feel concerned about the affordability of your hobbies and passions. You put your family first. If you feel that pang of guilt before clicking the checkout button on your wine or beer kit, don’t because the numbers are clear. Making your own costs a lot less than buying commercial beer and wine. When you buy your ingredients and kits, you are not spending money, you are saving it. And aside from the savings, economics are not the only reason you do this. You make beer and wine because you enjoy it. Being in your zone when you are creating is meditative and fulfilling. There is nothing better than doing something you love to relieve stress and get your mind off your worries, especially when it comes to money. So, raise your glass to the art of home brewing and winemaking – your wallet-friendly hobby that brings you a lot of joy and satisfaction.