What’s a fair price for a cup of coffee? Well, if it’s International Roast at the church fete, then 3.5 cents is about right. But if it’s hotel room-service after a 20 hour flight without a decent cup, then $2,000 is probably quite reasonable.

But seriously, for those of us who enjoy the caffeinated bliss that is coffee, it can become an expensive habit. Even a moderate two cappuccinos a day from the coffee shop will…

IKEA: love it? Hate it? A little of both?

On the one hand, they make some beautiful things plus every other possible household need too, and they’re all really well-priced. The place is practically essential if you want a well-decorated home on a budget.

But on the other hand, if too much of your decor comes from IKEA, you simply cannot have a chic home — ‘ubiquitous’ is not a complement.

Here’s the things I love and hate…

Being stylish isn’t just about buying attractive things. If you want to be really stylish, it definitely helps to be an interesting person, to have a point of view, to be a little bit different than everyone else. If you find your life dull, it’s pretty unlikely anyone else will be enthralled by it.

There’s no exact formula for becoming interesting and different — how could there be? — but doing something cool definitely helps.

If you’re…

The stereotype of a woman who is interested in shopping is unkind — we’re (unfairly) portrayed as a bunch of bimbos.

Smart shopping is actually an intelligent, rational thing to do, and today I’ll show you why.

Plus, how you can be a smart shopper too.

Kiss Me Stace wrote a great post about unflattering prints, which really got The Bargain Queen thinking.

The Bargain Queen generally doesn’t like lists of fashion dos and don’ts, because they change all the time, they’re unfair and because the exceptionally stylish ALWAYS break some rules, so the best you can become by following the rules is a fashion victim.

All that said, if The Bargain Queen had a definitive set of fashion rules, this would be…

The Bargain Queen is looking on the bright side of Australia’s wine glut, and that bright side is fantastic cheap cleanskin wines. (For readers who aren’t wine buffs, a cleanskin wine is bottled without the winery’s name on it. When demand for wine is high, they’re often crap that noone will admit to making, but when supply outstrips demand, some very drinkable wine is sold this way.)

The Bargain Queen and Mr Bargain Queen were recently in Melbourne…

Luck and Milk’s post on the high cost of fashion got The Bargain Queen thinking today:

As I admire my closet full of clothes, shoes, and accessories, all ridiculously priced for a nation who’s median household income is $18,000 short of the Jimmy Choo Crocodile skin handbag asking price featured on the glossy pages of Vogue, I cringe shamefully. “Are these frivilous things worth my hard earned paycheck?”

It’s so ridiculous how a fabulous life requires priding onself…

This is the story of how one day I set out to make fish stock, and ended up with a surprise dinner for two of fresh salmon ñ for less than $7.50!

The Bargain Queen had a wander around the shops today, to see the the new winter stock that’s just come in. Believe it or not The Bargain Queen does buy things full-priced sometimes; she just does here research first. The priorities at the moment are jackets and boots, since The Bargain Queen’s wardrobe lacks both these things.

So here’s what The Bargain Queen’s crazy about for winter:

David Jones have these Marc Jacobs rain boots in blue…

In Lincraft today (an Australian craft supplies chain store), I found some great bargains I had to share with all the other crafters out there.

First, the cross stitch kits are so much cheaper than they used to be! I know it’s incredibly uncool, but I have a real soft spot for cross stitch, so I’m glad there are so many cheap, nice kits now.

My picks: a 5″ x 7″ butterfly design for $5 for the kit…