Actual Thoughts I've Had, Verbatim...

[user328]

I also use eBay for any type of cords for electronics, they're always cheapest there.

I got five USB Mini and five USB Micro cords. They're still used in the Arduino Nano and some other microcontroller boards that haven't been updated in years. I don't have enough good cables for those devices since everything else moved to USB C.

I'm gonna end up with 1,200 resistors instead of 600, but they're the most commonly used components, so that's really not a lot.

Also, 400 diodes instead of 200. They can be used with inverter chips to build Mickey Mouse Logic gates instead of buying all different kinds of gates.

http://musicfromouterspace.com/analogsyn...logic.html

There are really only three "must have" chips to keep around the lab. The NE555 timer, the TL702 op amp, and the 74HC14 inverter. Anything else can be ordered when a project calls for it.