I used to have a local quilt shop, but she was a sewing machine shop first, and the fabric was very limited. She probably didn't have more than 100-150 bolts at any one time. Then she moved over a half-hour away, with the roads in between that are hilly, narrow and twisty-turny - some turns down to 15 MPH because they're so bad. Add snow or ice on top of that, and I don't make it to her shop much anymore. I do most of my shopping online, and feel I get a lot more for my money than at most quilt shops. I don't always look for the newest fabrics, either, so that probably makes a difference in how much I spend. I guess it really IS up to each individual....