Something else to consider. TI allows you to order up to 5 free samples of many of their ICs, including (but not limited to) shift registers, LED drivers, regulators and many more. When I say free, I mean free. Just browse their site, find what might interest you in the package of your choice (if available) and order your samples. It gives you something to play with at least, without having to spend money before you're sure of what you want.