Hey guys, I'm worried this is getting outside the realm of this forum, but to address economy and ingredients of soapmaking:

Yes, making soap does feel like a hobby, but if you can find a recipe that you like, you can take an hour of work and make enough soap for 5 years for a cost of probably $ 30. That's efficient and economical - even if you're only paying a dollar per 100g for your store soap. The major selling point to me, though, is knowing all the ingredients and their sources.

That said, from what people have PMed me on the subject, shaving soap is a more difficult soap-making adventure. A quick rundown: glycerine added after trace, hot process recommended (more chance for danger), KOH rather than NaOH recommended.

Just to give you an idea of how simple the ingredient list can be for soap: oil, water, lye.
That's it.
I add stuff like coffee grounds and make different oil mixes, but that's how simple it can be and if you've measured things properly, it should take about forty minutes of intermittent stirring for cold process.