When I first got the quilting bug, I found great buys at estate sales and bought about 4 large totes of fabric I like at very reasonable prices (from 1 to 5 yards). Two years later, I've used almost none of them. Meanwhile, I've accumulated a large tote of new fabrics for planned projects and have used almost none of them. If I don't donate them, most of them will be in my estate sale.
I also have 5 small totes of "I spy" fabrics and squares, which I use regularly to swap with other "I spy" users. I've only made two "I spy" quilts.
I've come to the conclusion I like searching for fabric and buying it better than sewing. Given I've retired, that has to change.
My cousin, who is about my age, has 70 something quilts planned. She has the patterns, fabrics and backing for all of them. Plus, some are very complicated projects that will take hours and hours to complete. (She's working on 2 hexagon I spy quilts for her DGSs that are fussy cut with triangle corners between charms.) She told me last week that she'll never get all of her projects sewed.
So, my advice is not to buy fabric you don't have a project planned to use it in. Also, limit how many projects you have in the works as what you want to make will change over time.
bkay