Well, I do mostly stuff where the requirements are modest, the programming language is likely to be C, and my primary concern was "can I get a good deal." So i've bought some PICs in various packages, some 8051s, some AVRs, some MC9S08, and more recently various ARM chips. Usually when they showed up cheap on eBay, or in Newark's "overstock" area, or cheap boards from Aliexpress, in "bulk" quantities (for a hobbyist, anyway. 100 at a time or so.)DO NOT DO THIS. It's stupid. Any money I've saved on chips I've spent on programmers, or on the time spent to get a set of tools installed and working to the extent of being able to use them. :-(