As much as I love the idea of getting sticky crap all over the house to save 2 bucks a week, I'll stick with buying GU. For the long rides I'll throw in the occasional Roctane.

As for the "natural"/"artificial" argument, sugar is sugar to your body, and as others have already said the whole point of maltodextrin is that it's rapidly broken down and delivered. GU and other energy products aren't designed for sedentary living. It's not something you keep in your office desk at work for a pick-me-up. It's fuel for moderate to intense physical activity.