I noticed much of western people rarely go out of your house for parts when building something. They often wait for few cheap parts, that every shop stocks, to appear at the door and keeping the project on hold just because of that. On one hand it is OK as you don`t lose the time hunting it, but for some cases it is better and quicker to go to real shopping and harvest what you need so you can have it built before postman arrives. Ordering cheaper parts China or elswere is OK, but waiting for few missing resistors to come from your favorite online shop so you can finish the project sounds strange to me. Is it laziness or way of living (from chair)?
I read on other forums people are ordering parts several times for one project from online shop because every time they realized some are not right or footprint or some other reason. I think it is hard to get from first all bits you need to make something.
If the pin spacing or packing is critical I take the PCB with me so I can test part it in shop. I manage to tour few shops and find right part, and find it easier than browsing the shop with parts with no picture and just datasheets for download.
First of all, personally, im not lazy 
In sweden electronic parts are EXPENSIVE.
HongKong provides much lower prices.
For instance. Ordering a 100 unit’s of regular flip-switches in Sweden, from the biggest supplier,
would cost me about 164 U$D’s, without shipping!!!.
When ordering the exact same switches from HongKong i got such a good price including shipping,
that 100 units cost me about 74 U$D’s.
The price speaks for itself.
Testing parts in shops?
By my experience, i have never had the chance to test parts in a shop.
Not the same service system over here.
And iv’e never had to wait for a “few missing resistors”.
When i started in the DIY buisness i made shure i had all the “basic electronic parts” at home.
I ordered BIG packs of resistors, 1% and 5%'s.
And if i run out, i’ll just lift my arse from the chair and go buy em. 
Also, i live in a small town..
You have to keep in mind, Sweden is a very small country with a population of 9,1 million inhabitants.
The country is small, the demand for electronic components is smaller compared to America for instance.
In my town, there are no component supplier.
I have to go to the neighbouring town.
And that shop is even more expensive (small supplier).
Buying a 100 units of regular flip-switches would come down to about 246 U$D’s
Catch my drift?.. :o
And lastly.
I cannot speak for other “westeners”, but i certainly “go outside my house”.
If i didn’t, i wouldn’t be able to go to work, meet my friends, party, eat and shop for grocerys…
you know…live my life.
Im sorry, but i couln’t help to take your reply as a poke in my eye
<edit>
Of course i have to add, orders from HongKong might sometimes end up at customs.
But even if i have to pay fares, in the end the price is still lower, than ordering from domestic supplyers.
