Ok, I am a fairly new quilter too, and don't have nearly as much stash as people here show, and I should add that I don't want to have that much stash, I am a bit of organization and neat freak, and I would feel uncomfortable with too much clutter.
Now that being said, I did want to have some pieces that could be inspiration for me for the quilts I want to make and for some freedom to change things around. What I did to start with was buying bundles of FQ in fall colors and spring colors, then I would shop some sales and get a yard or two of fabrics I like, then I added some tonals and batiks in my favorite colors to help bridge some gaps in the color spectrum. Now when I am planning a quilt, I check out my stash and pick one or more fabrics then take them to the LQS to get more for that quilt. I love it!
I should add that most of my quilts are smaller so that yard or two have been mostly enough. If I were into making large quilts, I would have gotten more like 3 or 4 yards.
Good luck and have fun!