Isn't the warm weather great? I can't wait to hear those lawn mowers start roaring. I can say that now because I live in a community that takes care of all the landscaping. But as I get ready to move into a single family home, my gardening thumb will either turn black and fall off, along with all the vegetation in my yard, or I'll hire a lawn care company. Option 2 is sounding so good. So here are some tips on hiring a lawn care firm:

Tip #1: There's no stronger power than word of mouth. Ask friends and family who they use to take care of their lawn. And check out ratings from places like Washington Consumers' Checkbook magazine and Angie's List.

Tip #2: Once you've got a small list narrowed down, check the Better Business Bureau for any black marks. Obviously you'll want to stay away from the ones that have several unresolved complaints.

Tip #3: Figure out what you want a lawn care company to do for you. If it's just mow the lawn and trim the edges, you might want to offer the job to a neighborhood kid, who'll be much cheaper than a company. But if you're in need of someone to do some landscaping or to treat some troubled spots in the yard, then make sure you're hiring a company that has people who specialize in landscaping and design.

Tip #4: Ask the company how long they've been in business. While you're at it, get a list of references. And call those references. Their other customers may have nice things to say about them and they may also have pointers on how to deal with them.

Tip #5: Visit other projects that they're working on, especially ones in your neighborhood, says PLANET, an association of lawn care companies. It'll not only give you ideas for what you could do in your yard but also you'll see their work first-hand.

Tip #6: Get it in writing. The company should provide a list of services they'll provide and when. The contract should also tell you if it's renewed each year and if there are any penalties for canceling your agreement.

Tip #7: If you've never used a lawn service, start out small. Sign up for a few services and if things go well, add more the next year.

Tip #8: Make sure the company is licensed and insured and ask for proof. This just makes sure that they're following the rules of the state when it comes to things like applying pesticides and other chemicals.

Tip #9: Do some research on how your lawn should be cared for. State cooperative extensions provide information and experts on how lawns in your area should be maintained.

So which lawn service do you use? What are some ways to save on the bill?

Have you ever regretted buying something on the cheap? Who hasn't? Here's one of my many shopping regrets: I bought bamboo shades for two windows in my bedroom about a year ago at Target, paying about $30 a piece. They looked great and I felt pretty good as friends and family marveled at the deal I got. My happy dance ended though a few months later when I gently pulled the cord to open the shade and it snapped. I tried to fix it but soon realized that sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

Shoppers are constantly faced with the decision to buy the cheapest item possible whether it be window shades or groceries, or to spend more for what may be higher quality. Sometimes the lower-priced item turns out ok. And other times it just doesn't cut it as in the case of my window shades. Now I have to spend even more money for another set of shades. I have learned over the years to not cheap out on certain things: diapers, trash bags and certain electronics. I now add window shades to that list. I buy certain brands of these items, even though they may be a little more money. But I have no problem buying the absolute cheapest paper towels or generic over-the-counter medication.

What in your life is worth the extra money because the cheaper brand just doesn't cut it? What are your favorite cheap or generic items?

No matter what kind of cook you are, pots and pans are a necessary investment. Even grilled cheese sandwiches are made on a skillet. But have you seen the prices of pots and pans lately? It's no small investment. So here are a few tips for picking the right cookware:

Tip #1: Keep a diary of what you make for meals each month and what kind of pots and pans you use. Stores are chock full of cookware that a lot of everyday cooks rarely use. Invest in the ones you use on a regular basis.

Tip #2: If you're still stumped about which pots and pans your kitchen absolutely needs, start with a 6-quart sauce pan, a 4-quart sauce pan, a 2-quart sauce pan and a 10-inch sauté pan, says Maria Kopsidas, founder and owner of Cookology, a cooking school and retail store in Sterling. Real Simple magazine, on the other hand, recommends a Dutch oven, a roasting pan, a pasta pot, a frying pan and a sauce pan.

Tip #3: Know what you're buying. Pots and pans are made from different metals, such as anodized aluminum, cast iron, copper and stainless steel. Each type cooks the food differently. Anodized aluminum is good for slow cooking, cast iron is good for searing meat, copper is known for evenly heating up food and stainless steel is good for high-temperature cooking, according to Real Simple.

Tip #4: Kopsidas says cookware should last about 10 years. But if the handle starts to shake and Teflon is coming off, it's time to toss them. Check if your cookware has a lifetime guarantee. If so, you might be able to get free replacements.

Tip #5: Look at reviews of pots and pans. Kopsidas recommends Cook's Illustrated's reviews. Only Cookware, Consumer Reports and Consumer Search also have reviews. And talk to cooking friends. Most have strong opinions on what works and what doesn't.

Tip #6: If you're ordering pots and pans online or through a catalog, make sure you get a deal on shipping. Cookware can be bulky and heavy, so any break on shipping would help.

Tip #7: Once you know what kind of pots and pans you want, shop around. Prices vary widely and most stores such as Macy's have sales on their cookware regularly. Kopsidas says some of the biggest sales on pots and pans are around the holidays.

Where do you buy pots and pans? Which brands do you like? What sizes and types of pots and pans do you recommend?

I'm not the biggest fan of chain stores. Yes, Target does serve a critical purpose in my life, but in terms of shopping for fun, I run from stores like Target. So it was a pleasant surprise when on a recent shopping trip to Silver Spring's City Place, I discovered a few secrets among the downtown area's plethora of chains.

Tucked between stores like Pier 1 Imports and Borders Books are shops like Living Ruff, a large pet supply store with enough charm to attract non-pet owners. You'll also stumble upon Marimekko, which sells the Finnish company's fabric but also some of its clothes and bags. Keep walking up the street and you'll find Adega Wine Cellars and Cafe, a small eatery that also has a wine section filled with all kinds of reds and whites. I was also charmed by Strosniders Hardware, a quaint hardware store worlds away from Home Depot and Lowe's.

Living Ruff opened last August on Georgia Avenue, just months before the economy entered a recession. But that hasn't stopped people from buying the store's high-end pet supplies, says its co-owner Jessica Simon. You'll find everything from $12 chew toys to $40 bags of raw meat. Simon says many people shop the store for gifts for pet-owning friends, and a large percentage load up on their supply of high-end dog or cat food.

Around the corner is Marimekko's concept store at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Ellsworth Drive. It features a few racks of the company's clothes and bags, as well as its fabric, which starts at $40 a yard. You can also take sewing and knitting classes for all experience levels or rent a sewing machine for $7 an hour. The store also has sales going on like 70 to 40 percent off some clothing and 40 percent off bedding.

When you walk through Adega's doors and head to the right, you'll be in the café but if you veer to the left, you'll be smack dab in a small wine shop. It all looks expensive but I found several bottles for under $15. Plus the joint has eat-in specials on its food and wine on Monday nights and Saturdays and Sundays.

Two other stores worth a trip are Metamorphosis, a women's clothing and accessory store on Wayne Avenue, and Pyramid Atlantic Community Arts Store, an Ellsworth Drive shop that sells local artists' work. And you must take a spin through Strosniders. It packs a wide range of inventory from kitchen gear to tools in a small space.

Where do you like to shop in Silver Spring? Are there any other stores that are off the beaten path? What are some of your hidden gems in the Washington area?

I'm going on vacation in a few weeks and so far it looks like my husband and I, along with our two daughters, will be stuffing our clothes into one small suitcase. We recently threw away a large bag that fell apart after many years of trips. I'm resisting going luggage shopping because it's hard to stomach paying a few hundred dollars for something that'll get manhandled the second we step foot in the airport. So I spoke with Lisa Lee Freeman, editor of ShopSmart magazine, to get some tips on making the right purchase:

Tip #1: Don't go the cheap route when buying luggage. This is one of a handful of items in your life where it really does make sense to shell out the big bucks for a good quality item. "If you cheap out, you may not be saving money because they rip and fall apart if they're not well made," Freeman says. "Buy a decent quality bag so you don't have to keep replacing it."

Tip #2: Don't assume that those hard shell suitcases are the most durable. ShopSmart, which is a sister publication of Consumer Reports, discovered that the toughest pieces of luggage were the bags made of heavy duty fabric. Their top picks for 22-inch carry-on bags were the Tumi Alpha, the Victorinox Mobilizer NXT 4.0 and the Hartman Stratum.

Tip #3: Take a spin around the store. You'll want to see what it's like to pull the luggage behind you for a few laps around the store. This little test will tell you if the bag tips over easily or bumps your heels as you walk. Also see if it'll stand up on its own without falling over. Unzip the bag to get a sense of how roomy it is.

Tip #4: If you're looking for a carry-on, make sure the bag you're buying fits the dimensions required by the airline you're flying. Freeman says their research revealed that many bags that advertised themselves as carry-ons were far bigger than what was generally allowed by the airlines.

Tip #5: Mix and match. If you're not picky about having a set of matching bags, look for sales and buy separate pieces. Marshalls and Tuesday Morning sell separate pieces at pretty good prices.

Tip #6: Go for the odd color. You might get a better deal on a bag depending on the color you choose. Amazon.com's prices on the same bag varied about $10 between the black one and the blue one.

Tip #7: Shop around. The same bag had a wide range of prices online, from $148.90 to $167.

So what's your favorite piece of luggage? Who has the best deals? What do you look for when you're buying new luggage?

You've been to one big box store, you've been to them all. There's not a big difference between the look and feel of a Target and a Walmart or a Borders and a Barnes & Noble, in my opinion. But many times where you do find differences is in price. I found this out when I compared prices at Petco and PetSmart.

As someone who's preparing a house to sell this spring, I've spent a lot of time at Lowe's and Home Depot lately. In an effort to find the cheapest hammer or a good deal on a kitchen faucet, I compared prices on the same items at the two stores. I looked at a few random items from gas grills to garden tools to painting supplies. The stores tend to sell different brands, making my price comparisons tough. Lowe's is big on Troy Bilt lawnmowers but Home Depot has a huge selection of Toros. Home Depot sells American Standard faucets and Lowe's sticks with Delta and Moen. And when they do have the same brands, they carry completely different models. Comparing what I could, I concluded that in a few cases, Lowe's had the lower prices. But in general the stores are close.

When it comes to gas grills, both stores carried the same Weber Genesis Three-Burner gas grill for $699. Home Depot had a slightly lower price on a Weber four-burner gas grill.

The stores practically matched each other dollar for dollar on gardening supplies. Home Depot had a slightly better deal on Black & Decker's 24-inch Hedge Hog electric hedge trimmer at $69.97, compared to Lowe's $74.96 price tag.

Lowe's had a few better deals on kitchen and bathroom faucets. The Lowe's price on a Kohler kitchen faucet was $108, compared to Home Depot's price of $130.84 on the same faucet. Lowe's also appeared to have better prices than some online stores: A certain Moen kitchen faucet model was $188 at Lowe's, compared to $224.58 on Amazon.com.

Lowe's had better prices on shelving as well. A ClosetMaid 6-cube organizer was $44.88 at Lowe's, a few dollars cheaper than online prices for the same product. Home Depot didn't carry this one, and its prices on Rubbermaid wire shelves were a few dollars higher than Lowe's.

Lowe's even had better deals on even more random items like blue painters tape. The store offered a 1-inch thick roll for $1 cheaper than Home Depot's same roll. And the same Klein wire stripper/cutter was $4 cheaper at Lowe's.

So where do you shop for tools and other hardware? Are there any mom and pops that have good deals? What about online stores?

In my quest to bring you retail enlightenment each week, I decided to launch a regular series in Shop To It called "Did You Know...?" It'll be full of fun tidbits about anything and everything about shopping, from big sales to interesting Web sites and stores. Here's the first roundup. Please tell me what you think:

Did you know...

...Pier 1 Imports may be the next retailer to be closing some stores? The company announced earlier this month that it's working on getting lower rental rates at many of its stores. And if it doesn't work at some of its worst performing locations, they may get the ax. Stay tuned for store closing sales.

...We shoppers spent a whopping one percent more in January than we did in December? But we spent 9 percent less this January than we did last January, according to the Commerce Department. The experts predict, however, that we're going to close our wallets for the rest of the first half of this year, according to the National Retail Federation. What are you buying these days?

...You can actually get affordable items at J. Crew? I've been a little surprised that people are so impressed with First Lady Michelle Obama's tendency to buy her family's clothes at J. Crew. I never thought it was a great bargain store. They have shorts for $98, after all. But I recently saw that you can get a $250 double-serge jacket for $80. They also had some $118 classic ballet flats that were marked down to $60, a double-cloth coat with Thinsulate marked down from $318 to $149.99 and a pair of corduroys for $19.99, down from their original price of $79.50.

...The best grocery deals are at Bottom Dollar Food? That's according to Checkbook magazine, which recently did a study of 18 grocery store chains in our area and found the cheapest prices at Bottom Dollar, which has nine stores in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Second was Wegmans and third was SuperTarget. Unfortunately for us, Wegmans, with only five stores in our area, and SuperTarget, with only four, are not the most convenient places to shop. Some of the most expensive stores were My Organic Market, Whole Foods and Chevy Chase Super Market.

So, what interesting retail information do you have to share? Have you shopped any good sales lately or gotten any good deals? Post a comment and tell me about it.

A dozen long-stem roses these days will run you around $70. It has always boggled my mind how much we spend on something that dies within a few days. But still millions of people get flowers for Valentine's Day. I have to admit, a bouquet of gorgeous flowers has been known to put a smile on my face. So here are a few tips on buying flowers for the big day:

Tip #1: Go to your local florist with your budget and ask what they can do. Most florist shops have a selection of flower arrangements they've put together for Valentine's Day, so it's worth it to see what you can get on the low side. Or ask them what they can put together for $50 or whatever your budget happens to be. Florists are competing aggressively for business these days so some will meet your budget constraints if it means they'll get your business.

Tip #2: Some florists will knock off some dollars if you pick up the arrangement on Valentine's Day and deliver it yourself.

Tip #3: Don't discount grocery stores and convenience stores for flowers. Many come in small bunches but if you buy two or three and stick them in a nice-looking vase, they may look almost as good as one you would buy at a professional florist. I've always been impressed with the selection at Trader Joe's. "You can get a good product almost anywhere if you know what you're doing," says Tom Sutton, owner of Foxglove Flowers in Alexandria.

Tip #4: Go off the beaten path and give a non-rose for Valentine's Day. Some of the most budget-friendly flowers out there are carnations and tulips, both of which are about half the price of roses. Lilies, amaryllises and spider mums are some of the longest-lasting flowers, Sutton adds.

Tip #5: If roses are the way to go and you're selecting the bouquet yourself, then pick ones that are about 30 percent open. You don't want a rose that's too open or one that is tightly shut. "A lot of people who have no experience with roses will look for the tightest rose. That's not usually a good indication that it will perform well," Sutton says. "You don't want it blown open either but if it's one quarter open, that usually indicates it will perform well."

Tip #6: Go really off the beaten path and consider giving your honey a unique plant that will last longer than flowers. EasternLeaf.com sells bonsai trees, money trees, orchids and bamboo in decorative ceramic pots ranging from $29 to $89. I had a good experience with a bonsai tree that someone sent me from this site. (The bonsai tree, however, did not have a good experience with me as its owner.)

Tip #7: Shop around. Online prices for a dozen long-stemmed roses range between $50 (ProFlowers) to $80 (1800flowers.com). FTD.com's dozen red roses for $50 come with a box of four Godiva chocolates.

Tip #8: If you're really pinching pennies, consider having the flowers delivered the day before Valentine's Day. Some florists charge an extra fee to deliver on Feb. 14, but a delivery the day before could be slightly less expensive.

Tip #9: When all else fails, buy flowers from one of those guys who sells them from car to car at a stop light. He might even haggle with you. Hey, it's better than nothing.

So where are you getting your Valentine's Day flowers? Have you seen any good deals out there? Do you have any tips for buying budget-friendly Valentine's Day gifts?

Looks like the bad economy has forced us shoppers to give up handbags and facials. That's according to a recent survey by BIGResearch for the National Retail Federation, which wanted to find out what consumers have parted with since the economy started tanking.

We've also cut out satellite radio, specialty clothing, high-end cosmetics and maid service. But keep your hands off our Internet and cell phone service. Those are the top two things we can't live without. We're also keeping a firm grip on cable TV, discount clothes, hair cuts and color, fast-food meals and new shoes.

The survey also revealed that women have a firmer grip on cell phone service than men, while men can't seem to part with nice dinners out. And people between the ages of 18 and 34 find it easier to give up hair cuts and color than people in the 35 to 54 range. (Hellooo, gray hair!)

We've tackled this issue before in Shop To It. My husband and I took an ax to our expenses at the beginning of December, cutting down our dry cleaning bill and wiping out some nice-to-haves like Blackberry service and Netflix. It's been a little more than two months and I've missed having the ability to check my e-mail from my phone but there's no love lost in having a movie sit on top of my DVD player for weeks on end.

What have you cut out of your budget? What have you missed the most and what was easily forgotten? How much have you been able to cut from your budget?

Parting is such sweet sorrow. That's how I feel everytime I sell something on eBay or Craig's List. So I didn't really need that old laptop anymore. And that infant bouncy seat surely went to a deserving bidder. But maybe I could have used that laptop as a back-up computer. And will my sister need that bouncy seat when she has kids one day?

Zilok.com may be the answer to those who have trouble parting with their goods but still could use some cash. Launched in 2007 by Jeff Boudier, Zilok is an online rental service where owners can rent their stuff to people in a surrounding community. Say you're going to a wedding or on vacation and want a really nice camera to take some pictures. Search in your community on Zilok and pay a fee to borrow it from a local person instead of having to buy one. Think of Craig's List but instead of a sales transaction, it's a rental transaction.

But "nobody treats my stuff as well as I do," you say? Well, renters have to sign a contract, before the item is turned over, that holds renters accountable for the condition of the goods and their safe return. There's also a deposit put down by renters. The owner of the merchandise can come up with their own contract or Zilok has a sample one that can be downloaded. Owners who are pleasant to work with are motivated by ratings that are given to them by the renters, much like eBay.

The site has everything from strollers and mechanical bulls to beachfront condos in Hawaii. Boudier says he expects business to pick up this year as people find ways to make and save an extra buck. At least 20,000 people are active renters on Zilok and Boudier expects to add 50,000 more in the next six months to a year. Zilok will also calculate what you could potentially make renting some of the items around your house. I plugged in several items around my house like an ice cream maker, a DVD player, baby gear and maternity clothes and the calculator told me I could make $124 a month renting all these items for about two days at a time.

"We provide a new way for people to make money by using the things that they already have," he says.

Boudier is working on building rental communities in every major city. But he's also competing with other sites like Irent2U.com.

Have you ever rented something other than a car or a vacation home? Have you ever put up your own stuff for rent? What did you learn from the experience? Would you do it again?