Ray,
I feel your pain.
I've gone down the 'find it cheaper' road for years with fly tying materials...I've found dozens of non fly tying products that were identical, as far as utilization goes, to expensive 'fly tying material'.
I've also found some things that would work, but were just a bit different...those 'pearl' chenilles, the shiny plastic stuff, I've found in several different iterations, all a bit different, but most still workable, come immediately to mind.
Halloween wigs that do very nicely for 'big fly fiber' (once on the fly, I can't tell them apart). The wigs will be available on 'close out' soon, for those interested.
Christmas tree tinsel in pearls, opalescents, and colored metallics as well as the standard silver and gold is basically flashabou. There are differing widths, stiffnesses, and even surface finishes..check different outlets for good varieties that will work for you...Buck or two for LOTS of it (and that's full retail), and even cheaper if you wait until AFTER the holidays and get it marked down.
I've found more usable 'stuff' by looking carefully around craft shops, beauty supply houses, thrift shops, and hardware stores than I have in most fly shops.
Of course, I keep buying all this stuff, and now have enough materials for dozens of tyers lifetimes (my nail that holds the various cards of Xmas tinsel either needs to be replaced with a longer nail, or I need to add another near it...you can only hang about ten cards on one 20D nail...)...and yet I know that I'll discovers another new 'something' I 'need' again soon.
Luckily, I've managed to mostly avoid the online shopping craze. Except for hooks and metal beads, I get almost all my stuff over someone's counter.
It really IS an addiction, but as those things go, a pretty benign one.
Buddy
It Just Doesn't Matter....