ah.....was that a freudian slip?

I've been known to buy 10 yards of one fabric because "I might need more and won't be able to find it again". That's usually the quirky stuff - for example -a skeleton sitting in a chair with a 'quick and easy knitting pattern' by it's side - it amused me so I bought it in three colorways. I've used it for a cathedral window wall hanging, an 'art quilt' pot holder that a visitor spirited away because "I just have to have it", aprons, a bag......it's fun to have silly designs on hand. Mind you I got it at Mardens for not a lot - I wouldn't go daft on yardage at the LQS prices.

Yep! I'm the same - no doubt, price is a sure-fire way of keeping your stash in check! :(

I inhierited my stash from my Mom; three years later I still haven't organized it all yet. I have added to it, however!

my favourite silly fabric
 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]356268[/ATTACH] This is the fabric I have stockpiled for future projects

When my business partner started me quilting (15 years ago), she told me to always get an extra 1/4 to 1/2 yard when getting fabric for a quilt. This would help build my stash without it costing a lot. She also said if it was some thing that I LOVED, then get a couple of yards for use at a later date. I don't have as big of a stash as a lot of some of our board members, but I do have a nice stash. Over the last couple of years I have been getting fabric for my stash (my income will be dropping to almost nothing before the end of this year), from fabric re-sales, garage sales, goodwill and lets not forget my closet (shirts, dresses, etc). So you can get a lot of stash fabric for very low or NO cost.

If I see a fabric that I think is beautiful I now buy 2 or 3 yards of it. I use to just buy 1 yard but I found that if I love it I want more. I may buy a fabric that I think is "unusual" and then I buy a yard or two. I recently found beautiful all coordinating fabrics on sale and I bought many yards of each. I have no idea what quilt I make with them but I knew I wanted those fabrics.

I plan to make a black, white and red quilt so I have been buying some nice fabrics with only those colors. Then when I choose the pattern I will audition each fabric and choose which ones I will use in that particular quilt.

I rarely buy just Fat Quarters anymore. I use to but I found that I rarely had enough to make anything of a significant size.

I am currently working on this quilt and it is made of a lot of the fq's that I had collected over the years. I am pleased with it but it certainly made my fq stash go down which is fine.[ATTACH=CONFIG]356274[/ATTACH]

If I see a fabric that I like, I usually buy 5 yards. If I think it looks like backing, maybe 10. I pick up jelly rolls and charm packs if I see something I like. Even if I never make anything from it, I get a great amount of joy from folding, rearranging, changing the way I have it organized, etc. There should probably be a help group for us, but I don't want help!

I love that quilt... and the edging.
Don't you find that fat quarters are the most expensive way to buy fabric? Our LQS charges $3.25 each regardless of what the yardage costs and I always have to straighten them up so the usable part is less than a FQ. I only buy yardage now that I have an Accuquilt cutter and can create my own strips and squares.

Lots of us older gals started our stash while sewing garments for the family and saving the "scraps" for quilts (covers) like our Depression era grandmothers did. Then, as we phased out of sewing clothing and discovered the joys of our quilting hobby, scraps no longer took care of our fabric needs. And some quilt projects just needed their own special fabrics. Stash building was a way to have resources on hand to feed sudden inspirations and simply satisfy that itch to quilt RIGHT NOW!
My DH and I are both widowed and he's a terrible enabler. I have gone into fabric shops and had him send me back in because I didn't spend or get enough. I hope you have someone like that in your life. It's heaven! Also, I can't say enough about having some good solid black in your stash. I have two bolts of Kona black in mine and it can turn a ho-hum quilt into something dynamic. I use it for sashing all the time.
Sounds like you need a FART (Fabric Acquisition Road Trip) to get you off to a good start!