2006 has been a really wild year for me, both on this blog and in my offline life.

I launched The Bargain Queen on February 22nd, as a hobby to keep me sane while I was on extended sick leave. I figured it would be a good antidote to all the serious I.T. stuff I do at work: something girly and fun and frivolous to occupy my spare time. It’s turned into much, much more than…

Something new for the New Year — each week, I’ll post the best money-saving articles I’ve found online. Here’s my picks for the last week:

Beauty beat >> cheap thrills
Cheap Australian beauty products that work great… for anyone who’s run out of money over Christmas but still wants to look pretty.

Jonk’s Bargains
A bargain shopping directory for Australian readers.

Also, if you’re interested in fashion and technology, head over to Verbal Croquis and read Zoe’s great post, fashion invades…

This is what I recently picked up on a thrift-shopping outing for only $50:

On the left-hand side, from top to bottom:

• White cotton boatneck sweater with navy trim (brand new!), $3
• Pale blue stretch-cotton long-sleeve shirt, $5
• Cute lilac t-shirt with a low neckline, puffy little sleeves and lace trim, $3
• Red ‘Joe’s lemonade’ tank top, $2
• Knee-length polka-dot cotton skirt, $5

On the right-hand side, from top to bottom:

• Grey Sportsgirl cami with sequined trim, $10
• Red satin Blue Juice top, $8
• Purple…

I recently bought these two skirts on eBay for $18 plus delivery (a little over $25 all up).

This skirt is by Tigerlily. I picked it up in as-new condition on eBay for only $13! It’s made from a silky cotton-blend fabric and hangs really nicely. It’s very lightweight and breathable — perfect for the hot Australian summer. It’s longer than it looks in the pic and the hem sits just below the knee.

Excuse the poor…

Boxing Day is the start of the big post-Christmas bargain shopping season in Australia. To get you in the mood for bargain hunting, here’s one of my recent finds.

I bought these two from David Jones at the very start of the Boxing Day sale, i.e. Christmas Eve (when the staff mark down all the merchandise).

The ones on the right are from Via Spiga. They were AU$150, marked down from AU$300. They have a small kitten heel which…

I hope Santa brought you a big pile of these!

Have you ever wondered how a whole store of merchandise is magically marked down by the time the sales start, early in the morning on the day after Christmas?

A lot of stores get their staff to re-price items late on Christmas Eve, i.e. today.

So if you’ve been lusting after something that’s a fraction too expensive, go take a look an hour before closing time. It might just be discounted already!

It’s December 23rd. You’re still doing your Christmas shopping… or maybe you haven’t even started yet.

The only solution now is to take your credit card to a department store, wade through the crowds, grab the most suitable-looking presents and ignore the total until January. Right?

Or maybe you intend to buy all your gifts at the gas station when you fill up your car on the way to Christmas dinner. Nothing says “it’s the thought that…

Looking for some entertainment?

I’ve just created a new page with a list of fantastic blogs. It’s an eclectic mix, with everything from fashion & beauty to home improvement; copy-writing to indie music. They range from quirky-but-charming amateur efforts to seriously informative pro blogs. The one thing they all have in common is a royal endorsement from The Bargain Queen: I read them, I love them, and I think you might too.

So, get a head start…

Fashion and style are completely different concepts, and without knowing it, most people gravitate towards one or the other. People who are into fashion are fashionable or trendy; people who are into style are stylish.

You can be fashionable, or you can be stylish, but you can’t be both.

So which are you: trendy or stylish?