Whether you can be self-sufficient in potions depends on how many potions use and how quickly you go through them. Personally only really use health potions and sometimes weapon coatings.
Yes you can piss about trying to pickpocket ingredients which are dirt cheap anyway or arse about to make the hireling a master potion maker but to me life is too short. Money is never in short supply, the ingredients and potions are cheap enough and you pick up potions continually.
