I used to just buy 2-3 yds of any fabric that i liked regardless of any ideas for using it. But this last year i have tried to limit it to just what is needed for a specific pattern. this is partly due to finances and partly to running out of space to store it!

Hmmm. I don't really know.
My spending habits have changed lately. I buy mostly solids and blenders for backings and coordinates but buy some fabrics, just not as much. I'm really trying to use my stash more than I use to.
I don't really think of it in dollar amounts.

I don't buy quilting fabric often, partly because the shops I like are not close and partly because I don't need to since I have fabric for a good year of planned projects and more. When I do go, I tend to buy a lot at once, since I'm trying (trying) to buy everything for each project at the same time. Otherwise it's like when I buy a shirt and think I'll find something to go with it but never do.

It's not unusual for me to spend $100 a visit. $200 would be a lot.

Right now anything I buy is too much because I am out of storage space.

I consider "a lot" to be by yardage, I seldom go over 3 yards!

For me, I think of "a lot" of fabric based on yardage, not based on amount spent. I found a bunch of fabrics at a thrift shop once, mostly 8 yd by 60" wide pieces of cotton apparel/lightweight home decor fabric that I bought mountains of to use for quilt backings. It was really inexpensive and I paid hardly anything, but considering the plastic bag I carried it out in nearly cut through my fingers from the weight, I say it was a "lot"! (I bought about 40 yards and still have about half of it!)

I also went a little crazy on my last trip to Hawaii...fabric prices are really very reasonable there, and I brought home 30 yards of various Hawaiian prints.

By contrast, if I pay a premium price and walk out with hardly any fabric, I don't feel like I 'bought a lot of fabric', I just feel like I spent a bunch of money.

I consider buying lots of yardage a lot.

If I hear "I bought a lot of fabric!" I think yardage. It may be due to me buying clearance, looking for sales, combining coupons, etc. I want to make a lot of donation quilts, so really try to keep the $/yard low (although still good quality).

I've seen the quilt shop my SIL really likes, and it's expensive! I could not afford to buy "a lot" there, although I could end up spending "a lot".

When I shop at Marshall's (online only, since I live too far) I tend to get a lot of their $1.99 fabrics for backing baby quilts, since they have so many bright colors on basic patterns! I'd be afraid of what I could spend on fabric there if I was able to see it all at once and didn't have to pay for shipping!

If I have a project in mind, I buy 2-3 yds of fabric of each color or pattern, then I have enough to piece the backing. If I am buying neutrals to use for backgrounds with fabric I already have, I usually will buy 5 yds. When I buy batiks, I tend to buy 2-3 yds.

For me good fabric in my area $10.50-$15 and I don't mind paying the cost. If there is something I really want and especially if I am at a quilt shop that I don't get to offend I get a 2 yards. I love FQ so I get half yard cuts. I don't purchase fabric as much from JoAnn's as they are cheap looking, but my best standby is Kona fabric which I love.