I also am on a very tight budget, but have a nice stash of fabric. Fortunately, where I live does not have quilt shops so I'm not buying fabric. Most of it was purchased when living in NC, which I want to return to. So I have no temptation of shopping. When I lived in NC, I sometimes felt bad when seeing the most beautiful fabric and could not buy it. But God did provide what I needed to make the most beautiful quilts. I buy thread, blades and batting online and look for the best price. I also use old blankets for batting from thrift stores at times, depending on the project. Many good suggestions were given.