It depends on the price. For myself, I never buy precuts unless they are on sale. So, for instance, a $20 layer cake or jelly roll would equal four $5 charm packs. One thing I like about layer cakes is that they are more versatile than charms, and at MSQS, for instance, you can only buy one at the sale price (usually) so a layer cake will be enough to do the job.(with some other fabric added for background, borders, etc.)