I almost never pay full price and rarely buy from my LQS's. They are too expensive for me. There is a good quilt shop about two hours from me (Mary Jo's in Gastonia, NC) that has good prices and a fantastic selection. Sometimes I road trip there. I buy selectively from JoAnn's, using a coupon or on sale and there are lots of good online options. I buy batting from JoAnn's, but only with a coupon. I do not like to machine quilt. Before I retired, I sent my large quilts out to be quilted, but that option is no longer an option. I do some hand quilting, but nothing bigger that throw size. I have started tieing my quilts and ha e found that I actually prefer it. The quilts are much softer and drape better.