A nice way to get a variety of scraps is to buy 10" squares layer cakes online. Connecting Threads often has sales and MSQC has daily deals with precuts often at 40% off or more. I too am having a hard time buying scraps cheap. We used to live where a wonderful thrift store is and they always had gallon Ziploc bags filled with scraps, but so far I haven't found anything like that here in our new corner of the State.