As I was gathering my clothes this morning to go for my bike ride to work, I was thinking how great it was to have exactly the right thing - like padded lycra shorts, polypropylene tights, keen commuting sandals, padded fingerless gloves, etc. None of these items are cheap to buy, but once you get them they last forever. And I really mean forever. My bicycle shorts are over 20 years old, so are my tights - I wore them when I was in my twenties. They are top quality and will probably last the rest of my biking days. The Keen commuter sandals were expensive too - $115, but they too will last forever and in my opinion worth the cost avoidance in preventing numbness and pain from absorbing too much road shock while riding.
My point is that just because something costs a lot, doesn't mean its not a frugal purchase. To have proper athletic gear is critical to enjoying the activity, and therefore doing it as much as you can. It also will help prevent injuries and irritants that you may get from wearing inappropriate clothing or cheap clothing that doesn't offer the protection you need.
However, there are areas where its not critical to have all the fancy apparel. I always wear plain $5 hi vis tshirt when I'm riding, I skip the colorful biking jerseys. I also just wear regular socks, or when it gets warmer I won't wear any.
But you may ask, what if I want to get active and wear the proper apparel but I can't afford $40 shorts, and $100 shoes. Well, here are some tips.
1. Search Craigslist for used running shorts, bicycle attire or other sport gear you need.
2. Go to garage sales that list clothing, although sporting attire may be rare to find.
3. Go to 2nd hand consignment stores and ask where the sporting attire is, they'll have good quality gently used stuff.
4. Google "used sports clothing and your city name" to come up with retailers that sell used sport equipment, like Play It Again Sports.
5. Ask your buddies if they have any old clothing that doesn't fit but is in good shape. I use lots of my husbands old biking stuff, like gloves, shorts and panniers.
6. Use inexpensive garden gloves over your fingerless gloves during cold weather.
7. Cut the arms off old long underwear or turtle necks and use them for arm warmers when its cold.
There are lots of ways to be creative with your clothing, but you might look like a nerd. But who cares. Not me.