I understand that many AT'ers will have limited needs for CR2032 cells , but as a confirmed gadgeteer (and I know there are more of you out there), I but my CR2032s in bulk on the much-despised eBay. I often see 50 unit lots going for under $20 including shipping.
These are the same batteries that are used for most motherboard BIOSs, ultira LED miniflashlights, many tiny keychain or pocket gadgets, and the unwired 'stick-on' X-10 wall switches. In fact, I'd probably quit using the X-10 switches if I had to replace each switch's batteries several times a year at $/3 a pop, but at closer to $0.3, they're workable
True, I still haven't used up my original 50, but it only took me a couple of weeks to use the 6 that I could've gotten for the same price at $3/ea, and I really enjoy the convenience and security of knowing I have all the CR2032s I'll ever need, on hand without a trip to the store or waiting on delkivery, and essentially for free.
I've also bought several 'watch battery' *assortments* at similar prices and they've paid for themselves many times over. Sometimes I may not have the exact battery on hand (a few are far more popular than others, and run out more quickly), but the assortment alway contains some suitable substitute (at least for temporary use).
The assortments generally contain a few ultra-tiny high capacity sizes that can be expensive or hard to find, but are rarely needed. In my house, even those rarely end up as 'widows' after the popular sized are used. They are great for my ultra-tiny electronic projects. In the past, I've used Zinc-air fuel cell batteries for these applications (they're incredibly cheap at RadShack: a 5-8 pk costs less than a 2pk of 'real batteries' of that size) but while zinc air cells have a decent energy density (all things considered), they have a limited shelf life once you activate them by removing the sealing tab.
In the first week, I must've used over a dozen batteries out of the assortment, and got the warm glow of knowing I'd made a smart choice that would change the way I dealt with batteries. I hadn't realized how many gadgets, slimline calculators, etc. were awaiting a parts run (it's such a pain to extract a battery, just to find out what size to buy - and even with a homemade magnet perimeter 'gadget repair station', I still lose some of those tiny screws into the carpet. I swear they don't bounce - they jump.
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