I love batiks, which are often $10 or more, even at the "cheaper" stores. I try to find good quality fabric on sale, by having online sources and watching for sales at quilt stores in my area. I also buy fabric on sale at non-quilt shops when I can feel it and check its quality.
I used to always buy only inexpensive or sale fabric, but now I don't want to spend a lot of time working on something that might always be wrinkled, frayed, see-through, faded, or falling apart. I honor my work with quality supplies.