I don't feel guilty quilting. It is something I enjoy and others spend a lot on things they enjoy as well such as going out to eat, playing golf, fishing, bowling and such. I do stick to a budget and make it part of the fun to find just the right fabric for something. I tend to collect fabric with an idea in mind and so it will sometimes take me several years to get my collection for a particular quilt. Doing it this way of buying a little here, a little there the impact on the pocketbook isn't so startling. Fabric is also what I buy on vacation as a souvenir instead of a tshirt or something else that just's going to sit around collecting dust. I always put money for my quilt stash or gift certificates on my wish list for Christmas and birthday so my family helps out there. I always ask when I go into a quilt shop where the mark down room/section is and shop there. This is where I get most of my quilt backs as I can usually find something that will work. I will buy lower quality/cheaper fabric (like at JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby) for things like pot holders and small projects but never for a quilt. If I'm going to put that many hours of work into something then I want the fabric to be good. It also takes me longer than many to complete a quilt so I'm actually enjoying the journey for less money per hour than someone who is in a race to make a lot of quilts.