I'm building my own 3D printer and it's hard to find some parts. I know of makerstore that have a price beat guarantee, which you would expect them to think they are the cheapest, so is there cheaper then them? For example, the openbuilds stuff are super expensive for what they are.
I know that aliexpress is an option too but shipping on there takes forever and sometimes is pretty expensive but if they are significantly cheaper I will definitely go with them as some parts I'm getting I can't get local. So in saying that, are there certain aliexpress sellers who are often the cheapest for multiple things or even aliexpress shops that have an Aussie warehouse.
I highly doubt you'll be able to build a cost-effective 3D printer from parts unless you really know what you're doing. If you just want a 3D printer, buy an off-the-shelf one (Ender 3?) and save yourself a pile of money. If you want to build a 3D printer more for the fun/learning factor, that's fair enough. Aliexpress probably the best value, although yeah, shipping sucks right now.