I realize the cheapest way to save money here, is not to drink at all.  But if you do wish to imbibe occasionally the cheapest and best way is to make your own.  For beer making I highly recommend Charlie Papazian's book "Joy of Homebrewing"  For wine making a forum  www.winepress.us/forums    Lots of great info there.  I make wine from kits which cost $80-$150 per kit.  These are for cabernets, merlots etc.  They make 30 bottles and so the most expensive kits run around $5 a bottle.  This is the best wine.  The wines we have made would have been at least $20 a bottle if we went to commercial wine.  Some wines we make (Amarone, Brunello) run $40-50 a bottle and we make them for $4. 

Nydia