A few things.
So what happens after practice makes perfect with your cheap supplies and then you go to make soap with your regular recipe? Think about it. Not all oils/butters are equal, so how your batter acts when made with Kroger Veggie Oil is NOT how your batter is going to act when made with your regular soap ingredients.
I almost always make 1lb test batch with using a new scent or colorant. And while 1 pound may not sound like a lot of soap, I can do layers, I can do in-the-pot swirls, I can do drop-swirls, I can do Taiwan Swirl, etc. And a 1 pound batch of soap makes four very nice size bars that can be cut in half and be tested further for cure, lather, etc. It's not a waste of money, it's part of my R&D budget.
Needless to say, I have a lot of soap...four bars of this, four bars of that, and so on and so forth. So what do I do with it? The stuff that works out...goes on the top shelf for long-term testing. I cut a slice off a bar ever so often and smell it, feel it, wash with it. While I hope to never keep soap in inventory for more than six months, I still want to know how my soap performs in time. Last year I found a bar of BRV GMS that I had bought 10 years previously. It was good quality soap...still had a hint of scent, no discoloration, lathered beautifully. Too bad I can't contact the soap maker and let her know.
So anyhoo...I donate. For the homeless shelter, I cut my bars in half and put in a store-brand ziplock freezer bag with a wash cloth that I buy in bulk at Wal-Mart. I also give them a box of half bars for those that just need a 'refill'. The shelter has my card and an ingredient list. I also donate soap to the food bank at my church. Full bars are wrapped in wax or parchment paper from the Dollar Store. I put a plain white label with the name of the soap and ingredients and ~not for resale~. If there is an issue, the church has my name and number.