" Hello, my name is Brian and I'm an Electronicoholic. I constantly buy new component parts for projects I'll never start, much less finish...."LOL
Actually a lot of us suffer from this. My opinion regarding component parts is "It is better to have and not need than needing and not having"
One way to get an idea of which chips to buy would be to pick 10, or so, projects you want to make over the next year, and buying the components that the projects require.
The ability to get parts quickly reduces the urge to stock up on most stuff. That lets me spend my money on the parts I want instead of what I think I may need.
If a supplier ships the same day and you are within a few hundred miles UPS ground can be as fast as next day at a fraction of the price.
Mouser fills and ships most orders the same day you enter them. My orders come the next day when shipped UPS ground. If I have it shipped to school I save a buck or two on shipping (commerical address). Digikey and Newark may provide similar service.
As mentioned earlier there are parts I do stock up on. If you order these prior to running out delivery time is not an issue. For these Futurelec is the first place I look for the part.