Tamisha Williams already filed her taxes and banked her refund.

The 23-year-old used the bulk of it to start a savings account to cover her expenses during the summer when the full-time substitute teacher won't get paid. The rest provided a bit of a cushion so her checking account wasn't so close to empty.

Williams said she has similar plans for the government-issued tax rebate check due in her mailbox. Half of it she'll save. Then, she might do a little shopping.

"Since it's so rare for me to come across things that . . . fit properly, then I do like to take those chances when I have a good chunk [of money] and find things," said Williams, who at a size 0, finds clothes shopping a challenge.

Until her check arrives, we recruited her and two other area women - all budget shoppers - to see if they could find a spring outfit for $100 or less. (The clothes were borrowed for the photographs.)

The seasonal selection is vast, with bold colors of hot pink, orange and grass green sharing space with the eye-popping prints dominating the dresses, skirts and feminine blouses. Wide-leg pants - be they cotton, denim or linen - are must-haves, too. They can be paired with a bold-print handbag or shoes in a patent leather, didn't-think-of-that color.

Williams said she'd like to add a few new pieces to her wardrobe for spring, but with money tight now as well as a similar summer looming, any serious seasonal shopping seems difficult. Not so, experts said.

"Really, it's about choosing where to shop. You can go to places like Target and Wal-Mart, believe it or not, and find T-shirts in the right colors and trenches in fabulous colors and patterns," said Joanne Rae, a personal style consultant and founder of Younique Image Consulting in Mechanicsville. "The best way to infuse newness without breaking the bank is with pops of color."

With the housing market in a slump, gas prices rising faster than hemlines and basics such as milk close behind, many like Williams are keeping their money close. The impending tax rebates and their $42.9 billion infusion to the economy, however, may help them loosen up.

According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend 40.6 percent of their checks. The gender breakdown shows women plan to spend more of the money than men with 43.6 percent versus 37.3, respectively.

But the checks aren't in the mail yet. Until then, experts said to troll for bargains that work for your body type in all sorts of shops including consignment.

"We only take things that are two to three years old," said Lesley Glotzl, who owns Carytown's Clementine. "That's a lot of fickle people and that's a lot of fashion people can poach from."

Contact Penelope M. Carrington at (804) 649-6027 or pcarrington@timesdispatch.com.