The owner of my local brewpub will sell me base grains at his cost (about $35/50lb). I know some States have grain tracking laws that wouldn't allow that. It might also be different if we had a LHBS, as he might not want to undercut their business, but the nearest is an hour away.
Another trick is to break up the bag. For instance, if you order a 55lb sack of 2-row from Morebeer, it will cost at least $87 after shipping. However, if you order six 10-lb bags you pay a little more per pound but get free shipping so 60lb only costs $72.