Mothers, Viking (the best IMO), and Meguiars (if you can find them in stores) are the better OTC towels out there. They are not necessarily cheaper though. You pay for what you get unless you can catch a sale or something.
Another store you can try is Pepboys, if it is in your area.
You are fine with the Vikings for paint. The Vrooms are OK, but you don't need them unless you want to get something to do wheel or door jamb duty. I had a bunch of the orange ones and at first thought that they were nice, but then I got a second batch where one of the towels failed the CD test by scratching the CD with the edging. Inow only use them for the wheels and door jambs.