I know how you feel. I'm not really fond of Elmer's glue. A bottle of Elmer's tried to kill my parents.
J/K 
I think some people have used spackle as an alternative. If you are doing small areas, you could use Knead-a-tite, Glazing putty...
You could even use wood filler depending on what you are doing. Its a no mix alternative.
Just about any material that cures hard and is sandable could be used as an alternative.