What else was in the Crock-Pot?I mean you’d have to define “cheaper” as a chuck roast is a good alternative but technically costs more per lb. that said you can buy them in smaller sizes which brings down the cost. An on sale chuck roast should be $10-$12 for 3.5-4lbs. I made one this weekend (4 hours on the smoker and 5 in a crock pot) and the taste is identical to a brisket
I am curious of other "less costly" cuts with similar qualities.
What age are the kids ? Maybe they like the fun of the cook , and just " think brisket " when they think of Dad firing up the smoker ?kids want me to smoke another beef brisket.
No sure where you are, but around here, brisket is the cheapest cut there is. Occasionally I see Tri-Tip for about the same price, and there is less waste on that so it can effectively be less expensive. Those are usually cooked to about medium rare, but there are plenty of folks that smoke them like brisket.