Making homemade bread versus buying it

Is it really cheaper to make your own white bread as you need it rather than buying a loaf and throwing some of it away? That's what I'm faced with right now.

Well, I guess that remains to be seen, but I'm going to try to utilize my bread machine to make my bread for sandwiches and toast from now and see how it goes. I'm not sure how much cheaper it really is, but I can buy a huge bag of bread flour for less than $5 and the bread that I buy at the store is $2.99 per loaf, and mine that I make at home tastes a lot better. I just don't see the point of buying an entire loaf just for me and I don't eat that many sandwiches.

Any thoughts either way? I figure if I have any leftover after a week, I can always freeze it. However, considering that I just made all that jam and have only eaten it once, I don't think any of this is going to go to waste.

Homey White Bread

1/2 c water at room temperature
1 c milk at room temperature
2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 c white bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to the bread machine in the order given, choose the 2 lb setting, the white bread cycle and the light crust, and wait one hour to slice after removing bread from the machine.

What I liked about this bread: I didn't have to buy ANYTHING special for it, it rose SO tall and it smelled great baking.
What I disliked about this bread: I waited a full hour to slice it, and it still was a little too soft and fell apart just a tad. I don't know if maybe I just needed to let it cool and set overnight, so I guess I'll try that next time.
Cool kitchen gadgets used: My Cuisinart bread machine
Tastiness factor: Soft, white and delicious...like biting into a cloud. It was fantastic paired up with my strawberry jam and a little butter. Yum yum!