I spent a lot of time combing these and other forums for cheap and effective lube alternatives. I eventually found a recipe using flax seeds but I made an improvement on it and figured I'd post the details here. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
Flax Seeds (2 tbs)
Distilled Water (1 cup)
Preferred oil (1 tbs)
Instructions:
1. Boil water
2. Add seeds and lower to simmer. Simmer for 8 minutes total.
3. Stir and check simmer speed at 5 minutes
4. Strain into heat-safe bowl. Make sure you use a strainer fine enough to catch the flax seeds.
5. Allow to cool for a couple minutes and add oil (I've only used E.V. olive so far but use whatever you're comfortable with).
6. Mix really well. You don't want to see any separation between the flax stuff and the oil.
Discussion:
The lube the flax seeds create is some interesting stuff. It has some sort of molecular bond so it will turn to jelly when cooled and tries its best to not separate. This is problematic when you're trying to apply it to your toys. However, the addition of the oil counteracts this problem by forcing separation (step 6) while the lube is still hot and runny and keeping your skin moist and slippery where the lube isn't. The oil also helps prevent it from drying out (a problem for the original flax only recipe).
Longevity:
I have no idea how long this stuff lasts (it's essentially food) so I make a fresh batch for every session.
Cost:
I spend about $5 on a 24 oz bag of flax seeds and maybe $1 on a gallon of water. That's way more lube than $6 of anything else.
exact recipe i use, except i combine oil straight from the start. Make it thinner(less flax or boil time) to avoid jelly problems when it cools.
the stuff is very slippery but seems to dry out quick.