best website for cheap shit is www.taydaelectronics.com
standard NPN transistors for 13c, 555 timers for 10c, this place is a goldmine.
I had to buy 600 LEDs for my LED cube. I live in ireland, and to buy them from radionics here it would have cost me 140 euros. From tayda, it only cost 36! and that included shipping from HK!
great website/shop.