How can I save on chemicals?

Are there common chemicals that I can purchase for my pool that do the same things as the chemicals bought from a pool store?
I realize that I could use bleach instead of chlorine, but are there other substitues that are cheaper?:confused:

Thanks

There are others. Baking Soda, Borax, etc.
Read about much of it here.
You may wish to read all you can at poolsolutions.com

Please go to every forum here (particularly the pool chemistry and testing forums) and read the stickied threads at the top of each one. We have myriad threads covering this very topic. Indeed, that's a large part of the essence of PoolForum.com--that we do our own water testing and get most of our pool chemicals at the grocery and hardware stores.

Knowledge/information will save you a bundle of $$$, and you'll be amazed at how much less time you spend on pool care, and how much more effective it is!