Good ski clothing doesn't have to mean you only wear it for skiing. You could buy a shell jacket that would work for rainy days or cold weather as well as skiing. Layer it with a polyester/wool sweater or a fleece and a polyester t-shirt and you're set. This layer could be a waterproof/breathable layer like Gore-Tex, or it could be a soft shell which is what I bought this year for snowboarding. Ski/snowboard pants are different, you can't use those as much, but you can find some deals around.

I shop REI Outlet and Sierra Trading Post for discount outdoor gear. Sometimes you have to wait a while to get exactly what you want, but this year I bought some Burton snowboarding pants from REI-Outlet for $45.