I make my own dishwasher detergent. I do the same with laundry detergent and used to do it with Soap as well (only a few times - made me feel like Tyler Durden). The bar soap doesn't save much money, but it was fun. The dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent saves a TON of money though, and is super easy to make. You can youtube DIY laundry detergent and find a bunch of stuff.
My wife thinks it doesn't work super great, but that's b/c she throws dishes in caked w/food on them. So it's not as good as the toxic stuff, but I like the idea of saving money, DIY'ing as well as knowing exactly what chemical's go into the detergents. You should look online or DIY, but off the top of my head here is what I do:
Laundry Detergent -
https://youtu.be/9-zrjzqX5i0- Only change is I add in maybe half a cup of scentables stuff (the generic stuff from Walmart). I get all the ingredients from walmart and it's the cheapest there.
Dishwasher Detergent -
https://youtu.be/9OivmnM3usk- Only change is I add in maybe half a cup or so of Absorbic Acid (that I got on Amazon) which helps de-grease and makes things smell good.
I also make fabric softener out of the cheapest hair conditioner, water and vinegar and that seems to work. The only thing I notice w/laundry is that it's not as gentle on the clothes maybe. But for the expense and knowing what goes into it, I like it. I would give that a try if you're looking at saving money.