Homemade Kefir: Delicious Taste and Saving Money Combined

If you’ve watched the video about how to make a cow's milk version of kefir from starter culture packets, then you’re ready to see how you can be saving money by making it yourself instead of buying bottles at the store!

If you don't know what this "k" word is (pronounced "keefir"), I explain it on this page.

How You Can Be Saving Money

Since I used starter packets in the video, let's assume that you are making your own fermented milk the same way, compared to buying it already made. You would save even more if you used kefir grains.

Ball Wide-Mouth Quart Jars

And if you are re-purposing a quart jar, like maybe from pasta sauce, artichokes or another food, you won't have any jar expenses.

If you need to buy jars that you can re-use over and over, you can find those here.

In my area, organic 2% cow's milk from the store is approximately $3.50 for a half gallon (which is 2 quarts). You'll be saving more money if you buy a gallon instead, but let's assume you just buy a half gallon so that you can make one quart of fermented milk today and another quart within 3 days or so.

That means the price for a quart of the milk from the half gallon is $1.75.
Now let's say you end up buying enough milk for 16 quarts over 8 weeks (you'll see why I chose 16 soon). Sixteen quarts of milk, buying in half-gallon sizes, would cost $28.

Now for the Kefir Starter Packets


Two starter packets (also called Direct Set Powder), which are enough for 2 starter quarts, are about $13 shipping from Amazon.com .

Each packet is used to start the first quart and then 1/4 cup of that first batch can be used within 3-7 days to start a second quart.

And 1/4 cup of that second quart can be used to start a third quart, and so on. So it ends up that each packet has the potential to make 8 quarts for a total of 16 quarts from the 2 packets. (Now you can see why I calculated the cost of 16 quarts of milk).

The Total Cost of 16 Quarts of Homemade

So that means you are paying $28 for the milk and $13 for the starter packets for a grand total of $41 for 16 quarts of homemade, or approximately $2.56 per quart.

The Cost of Store-Bought

In my area, the cost of lowfat cow's milk kefir at the natural foods store is about $3.50 or more per quart.

Are You Saving Money Making Homemade?

You bet you are! For each quart, you are saving about $1. So for the 16 quarts we assumed you would make, your total savings would be almost $16.00 !!!

It IS possible to be healthy, yet save money!


Return to the kefir page.

Return to the video on how to make kefir from starter packets.

To learn about other foods/drinks that contain probiotics, read here.


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