Oh I hear you about the $$$$ after all these years of riding I finally got some nice tights for myself. I've hit the hardwear/workwear stores for inexpensive mid weight construction gloves, even clear safety glasses are a fraction of riding goggles. You can score some interesting active wear from the Goodwills and such sometimes. I got a nice, albeit older, gortex jacket for life 5 bucks. I find cycling specific stuff to, generally, hella expensive for no other reason than it can be.