I'm planning a big WAM scene in the months ahead, what's the best/cheapest source for cake mix?

I don't shop for this regularly, but $1/box (about 15 oz) seems to be a decent price. I've seen it go lower at 88ct/box before, but I think that's the lowest I've seen.

Any recommendations if there can be better prices?

sho nuff!

This is probably cheaper: http://iambaker.net/homemade-cake-mix

Ya, I'd say if you want 'absolute cheapest' and you aren't really baking or eating it, get a bag of bulk flour and add some water. If you want to work a bit on consistency and added expense, then add in some eggs, milk and sugar. Either way bulk basic ingredients are probably going to be way cheaper than pre-mixed boxes.

The cheapest I've seen is at Hannaford, immediately after a holiday. Hannaford likes to stock holiday-themed cake mixes and they frequently dump it at 75% off immediately after said holiday. So 0.25-0.30 per box is pretty standard. However this option is only available a few times per year.

I usually just wait until my local grocery store puts them on buy one get one, then I buy 10-20 boxes at once.

I would not make a home based cake mix from flour unless I really knew what I was doing. As others will tell you, simply adding flour and water will create something that attaches firmly to your hair.

Here are the ingredients in Betty Crocker yellow cake mix:

Sugar, Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol Monoesters of Fatty Acids, Baking Soda, Salt, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Dextrose, Monocalcium Phosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Dicalcium Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Datem, Monoglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Aluminum Sulfate, Yellow 5&6, Nonfat Milk.

Right away you can see there are ingredients that make it less sticky and smoother, like sugar, oil, some corn starch, and xanthan gum as a thickener. Cake mixes, if mixed thoroughly, are usually silky smooth and easily washable.

Collect a few boxes every time you see a decent price.

Ug - seeing those ingredients, I'm almost afraid to put that ON my body, much less IN my body!

Your original point is taken - technically more to "cake mix" than flour and water. But a lot of that stuff is preservatives, 'leavening agents' to make the cake rise, stay spongy, moist, etc... not a great concern if you plan to play in it vs bake it. I'd bet you could get extremely close with flour, eggs, milk and vegetable oil...sugar and salt if you care about taste.

Another option might still be to buy the $1/lb boxes of 'cake mix', but 'fluff it up' a little with bulk flour which seems to run considerably cheaper.

...or just do what I do...go with mud! Generally free for the taking!