I'm not retired but I like to hang onto my money so I have a couple of thoughts...
What about doing a fabric swap with a guild, club or just a group of quilting friends. What you find unappealing might be just what someone else is looking for and vice versa.
I wait for sales to pick up basics when I can to fill in gaps, and I watch the paper for estate sales I've picked up a lot, for very little cost.