What goon doesn’t love a bargain? (All the better to save for the splurges.) Here’s an insider’s guide to great deals for a guilt-free spree.

Shake Up the Shack
How to give your house a boost or delight a bored hostess? With a whole garden in one small soda can. Flowers-in-a-Can might be the best invention ever. Or dress up a throw pillow with a print that screams summer. No one needs to know you didn’t buy these shower-curtain hooks at a flea market in Paris.

Spiff Yourself Up
Can you reinvent your look without looking like a cheapie? Like, duh. Every sassy lady-on-the-go carries a terribly expensive-looking notebook. Cheat with a stunning mini journal. Oh, my — this tote isn’t Marc Jacobs? How ‘bout a lace-trimmed tank? The look: popular and precious. The price tag: anything but. Perfect accessories? Pearl earrings, bien sur.

Bargain Beauty
Look like a million bucks without … yeah, yeah. You know, some say Bourjois is basically Chanel without the fancy packaging. The eyeliner is very Deneuve. Take it off with Mario Badescu’s eye-makeup-remover cream. (Fancy isn’t always pricey.) Finally, e.l.f.‘s new line is the season’s best beauty deal. Every product — gloss, shadow, liner — costs only $1.

It just doesn’t get any cheaper. Er, we mean better.