I only buy stuff on line when there is free shipping. I haven't bought fabric but I buy lots of other stuff from Amazon and Joanns. If your state does not have sales tax, you do not pay sales tax no matter where you buy it from.

I shop mostly on line and find great deals and cheaper fabric prices even with shipping.Can't beat the convenience.

I try to go to LQS, like to support the local businesses, but it is a small store so I do buy most of my fabric online.

I try to support my local shops whenever possible, but I do shop online as well when there are good sales or free shipping. Try to get the best quality fabric you can - I'm now finding that quilts I made years ago (before cotton fabrics were as prevalent as they are now)are starting to disintegrate. Primarily it's where I've used muslin instead of a sturdier cotton.

I usually find my "oh my" pieces online, then fill in with stuff from Walmart or Joanns. Every now and then I get out of town and hit Hancocks, but mostly its local stuff. The Joann's in my town just closed down and I got TONS of stuff that I probably wouldn't have bought, but it was on closeout.
Have fun shopping!

I go to Hancock and JoAnns and my LQS, but I do buy a lot of fabric and items on line and through Ebay

I shop on line mostly, since I am in a very small rural town and don't have a good sized fabric shop nearby. Closest would be about 4 hr drive 1 way.
Either that or wait 1 a year when we visit our kids in Kansas and shop there

Joann's and ebay...LQS double prices on everything especially the rulers and notions.

I shop anywhere there is fabric to be bought or looked at. Walmart, thrift stores, shirt clearances at men's shops and yard sales. I love Connecting Threads online shop, you can request a free catalog on their website and get free ones from Keepsakes Quilting and Hancock's of Paducah. Get them! They are inspiring, full of quilt pictures and projects. (I never pay shipping from Connecting Threads!) Do a shop hop: one is online right now: Fabshophop.com and you will have all the quilt shops online right at your fingertips. Sign up for the newsletters and you'll know about a fabric sale in advanced.

And if you live "in the middle of nowhere", remember that the cost of shipping may offset the gasoline that you're not burning.