When I first started quilting I bought mostly yardage with a few fat quarters. I bought a good supply of fat quarters on Ebay a little later while still buying yardage at my LQS and online. I finally settled into making scrappy quilts. I know what colors I like and when I see something I like I buy at least two yards. If you have extra yardage you can always start to fill your scrap box or if you have enough left over from a project just put it back into your stash. Have fun!