Thanks everyone (by the way, I do have a spreadsheet that calculates it all for me. it's about $2.70 for an enhanced box mix). As I'm playing with other scratch recipes, I'm finding the price to be either more or the same. From what my close friends tell me (those who know my box mix secret), they prefer the box. You know the saying...if it isn't broken, don't fix it!
And thanks for posint the tutuorial for keeping cakes level. I use the magic stips so I do not have much waste. If I do, I either take the cake scraps into my coworkers (they love this) or I make cake balls.
Thanks so much!
Sheri
I have always used box cake mixes.
I don't have the room to prepare dry ingredients to save for when I do cakes. Plus the time to make them up a head of time. Then there's the occasional cake disaster when you have to start all over again. Gah I can't imagine have to do it from scratch. I think that would end up costing more then it would just to open a box mix up and start over.
I agree with the cost of eggs and oil and especially milk going up and up, it's hard to keep costs down. But I don't think I have room for chickens and cows either.... 
'Extenders' is a common way to refer to adding additional ingredients to a cake mix to 1) make more batter, 2) change the flavor, 3) give it a more homemade touch. Here are some popular recipes:
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1953-Super-Enhanced-Cake-Formula.html
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1599-Enhanced-Cake-Formula.html
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2322-White-Almond-Sour-Cream-Cake.html
Hi Cake Boss! I have been meaning to tell you, love your recipes and all your help and advice. Whenever you reply to a thread you always have something intelligent and helpful to say.
Also, I love the recipes above. Thank you for taking the time to link them and thank you for the link to your website with the torting info and pictures. This is a wonderful tutorial about keeping those bulges out!
I have a wedding cake this weekend to do and I printed it to look at!
Loriana (Lisa)
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