Is It Cheaper to Make Your Own Sausage?
A Real-World Cost Breakdown from 40+ Years of Sausage-Making Experience
If you’ve ever stood in front of the meat case wondering whether making sausage at home actually saves money—or just feels like it should—you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions we hear from home sausage makers, hunters, and families cooking in bulk.
The short answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes no.
The honest answer is more nuanced—and far more useful.
After decades of working with sausage makers at every stage, from first-time grinders to hunters processing entire seasons of game, we’ve seen exactly when homemade sausage costs less, when it doesn’t, and why many people misjudge the math.
This article breaks it down with realistic numbers, practical scenarios, and long-term perspective, not idealized theory.
Who This Question Really Applies To
This question matters most to people who plan to make sausage more than once.
First-timers often ask it out of curiosity. Experienced makers ask it when deciding whether to upgrade equipment, commit freezer space, or increase batch size. Hunters and bulk family cooks tend to ask it once they realize how quickly store-bought sausage adds up.
If you only plan to make a novelty batch once a year, cost savings probably won’t be dramatic. But if you’re making sausage a few times a year—or processing wild game—the economics shift quickly.
A Real Cost Example: Homemade vs Store-Bought Bratwurst
Let’s start with a representative, real-world scenario we’ve seen play out countless times.
10 lbs of Homemade Fresh Bratwurst
- Pork shoulder: $2.29–$2.99/lb → ~$25–$30
- Seasoning, salt, natural casings: $4–$6 total
- Total cost: ~$30–$36
- Cost per pound: ~$3.00–$3.60
Comparable Store-Bought Sausage
- Grocery store “premium” bratwurst: $5.99–$6.99/lb
- Local butcher: $7.99–$9.99/lb
- 10 lbs total: ~$60–$100
This isn’t a comparison to the cheapest mass-produced sausage on the shelf. It’s a quality-to-quality comparison—and that distinction matters.
Meat Prices: The Biggest Variable in the Equation
The single most significant driver of sausage costs is meat prices, which vary widely depending on how and where people buy.
What we typically see:
- Grocery store pork shoulder: $1.99–$3.49/lb
- Local butcher or heritage pork: $3.99–$6.99/lb
- Bulk or wholesale purchases: $1.50–$2.25/lb
- Wild game (deer, elk): $0/lb for meat, with processing inputs instead
That range alone can swing your sausage cost from under $3/lb to over $6/lb. Even at the higher end, homemade sausage often matches or beats store prices once quality is factored in.
When Equipment Actually Pays for Itself
Equipment cost is where many people mentally stop the calculation—and where the math usually works in their favor.
A solid grinder and stuffer setup often lands around $300–$500. If you’re saving even $3 per pound, that equipment breaks even after roughly 100–150 lbs of sausage.
For hunters, that can be one season.
For family cooks making 20–30 lb batches, it’s often one to two years.
What surprises most people is how quickly batch size grows once the workflow is learned. Few stop at their first batch.
The Hidden Cost Most People Don’t Expect
The biggest hidden cost isn’t ingredients—it’s time, especially early on.
New sausage makers underestimate:
- Prep and cleanup time
- Trial-and-error seasoning adjustments
- Re-grinding or re-stuffing learning curves
The first batch always takes longer than expected. Over time, workflows become efficient, recipes stabilize, and batch sizes increase—dramatically lowering the “effort cost” per pound.
The Hidden Savings People Almost Always Miss
On the flip side, homemade sausage delivers savings people rarely quantify:
- No water weight or fillers → higher yield
- Less shrinkage during cooking
- Better portion control
- Zero waste from flavors you don’t like
- Predictable freezer rotation
Even when the raw cost per pound is similar, the value per pound is almost always higher.
Not All Sausages Save Money Equally
Cost savings vary by sausage type:
- Fresh sausages (bratwurst, Italian): moderate savings, fastest to make
- Smoked sausages: higher savings due to retail pricing
- Snack sticks & jerky: often the biggest savings
- Specialty sausages (kielbasa, andouille): major savings because store prices are high
Snack sticks are a standout. Retail prices commonly hit $15–$20 per pound, while homemade versions often land in the $4–$6 per pound range using quality meat.
Why Beginners Sometimes Think Homemade Is More Expensive
The most common mistake is batch size.
A 5-lb test batch takes nearly the same setup and cleanup time as a 20-lb batch, but spreads costs far less efficiently. Another mistake is jumping straight into premium ingredients before dialing in technique.
Experienced makers batch bigger, freeze in portions, reuse proven recipes, and measure real costs instead of guessing.
So… Is It Cheaper to Make Your Own Sausage?
The most honest answer we’ve seen hold true over decades is this:
Yes, it’s cheaper if you make sausage regularly or in meaningful quantities. If you only make one small batch a year, it may not be—unless quality, control, and customization matter more than price.
That nuance is important. Homemade sausage isn’t just about saving money; it’s about knowing exactly what you’re eating, using meat efficiently, and building a skill that compounds over time.
Final Takeaway
After working with sausage makers for over 40 years, one pattern is consistent:
People who keep making sausage rarely go back to buying it regularly.
Not because it’s always cheaper on paper—but because once the process, quality, and cost align, store-bought sausage starts to feel like the expensive option.
