I agree that good quality fabric is the most economical in the long run. I have my favorite brands. My favorite brand begins with an "M" and I have never had an inferior quality fabric in this brand. With that said, it is possible to find closeouts and discontinued collections for good prices. I too would not disparage anyone's choices. Our quilting progenitors used the fabric that was available. Their creativity and ingenuity is to be admired. Many of you donate many hours and resources making quilts for charity. If you had to pay top prices for the best quality fabric, you wouldn't be able to make nearly as many quilts.
However, I think the point of this thread is that with experience quilting, we learn and become more discriminating. It is nice when we get to the point where we can tell a quality fabric by looking at it and feeling it.