Can you save money by sewing? Maybe, it depends on what you are sewing. You won't make cheaper T shirts than Penneys, and even Dunnes and M&S are not expensive. If you create hand sewn couture garments, then maybe! The reason I started sewing was because of T shirts though. I tend to wear long sleeved T shirts in winter. It got to a stage where I didn't want to wear crew necks, but the V necks were too low. I would shop around and get ones that fitted well, but they shrank in the wash and were an inch or so too short in the sleeve and the body. So, out of frustration, I started to make long sleeved T shirts to get the fit, and the colour I wanted.
If you want to sew clothes, it is amazing how easy it is to do that by buying a sewing pattern and following it. However, unless you are lucky, the garment you make will not fit you even as well as Pennys! It mainly takes time and patiance to get a garment that looks the way you want it to. It isn't difficult, but it is painstaking slow work. Of course it depends on what you sew! If you want a casual skirt, or a loose summer dress, then it is quite straightforward!
There are a lot of resources available on-line, particularly you-tube videos. Also, your local library may have some sewing books if you check (I tend to learn well from books, not everyone else does).
I started off with a sewing machine from Lidl, and it did me fine for 3 years before I upgraded.
Here is some advice on starting to sew:
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/23030/teach-yourself-to-sew-season-1 There is quite a lot of information on the Threads site, it's worth having a root around. Threads magazine is published every two months, Easons on O'Connell St in Dublin carry it, I don't know about anywhere else, I find it interesting.
http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques I have bought Burda Style magazine in Easons in Tralee before. It doesn't have a lot of advice or general information, but it does have about 20 patterns in it for €7 ish.
There are lots (and lots and lots) of sewing blogs out there, this one is quite funny:
http://www.dressaday.com/2008/03/20/start-here/
http://www.dressaday.com/2007/10/02/off-to-a-great-start/
http://www.dressaday.com/2010/02/10/review-built-by-wendy-dresses/
http://www.dressaday.com/2007/06/28/book-review-sew-what-skirts-1/
Another learning to sew website:
http://www.youtube.com/user/westvalleycollege
The main problem with sewing is that it's easy to spend all day looking up stuff or reading, and never getting around to sewing!!
Simplicity (they make sewing patterns) have a lot of info on their website. This how-to-sew video is v. old, and quite funny:
[broken link removed]
More modern how-to-sew
[broken link removed]