Everyone knows that Valentine's Day can be pricey. Flowers, dinner, gifts (if you're that type) easily put a dent in anyone's wallet.

Well, preparation is the best prevention... or something like that. Want to save a little this Valentine's Day? Get ready now.

Order your flowers ahead of time. That means now.

Buy a vase before you buy your flowers. Sometimes, florists will offer really nice vases for cheap. A simple clean vase is great; if you know where you are going to order your flowers, call ahead and ask how much they charge for a vase. It should never cost more than $4. At least, that's my cut-off point.

Avoid vases with the frilly, lacy-looking tops or too much in the way of decorative cuts - they're kind of tacky and out of date. If possible, buy a cheap vase at Wal-Mart or Target or somewhere ahead of time. Don't go too exotic unless you want the vase to inspire your floral purchase. If you buy a read vase, you might not be able to use pink flowers.

Use the little packet of flower-preserving powder. They really do work.

Steer clear of roses. They are always a bit pricey, but they go through the roof for Valentine's. And, anyway, red roses are incredibly cliched. Also, and this is a common mistake among men, do not buy carnations. Yes, I know they are making a comeback. Yes, they last a long time, and I do adore the smell. And yes, they are cheaper than many other flowers. But as of yet, I still rate carnations as off-limits as far as romantic gift-giving goes. Unless you mix them in with other flowers, in a unique blend of soft corals and brilliant pinks, carnations are a no-no. IF you should choose to use roses or carnations, make sure to pair them with something unusual, like eucalyptus branches, Belles of Ireland, or rosehips.

It's OK to have an imperfect bouquet. OK, this harks back to my high school years, but I'm going to give you a tale of two suitors. One of my first boyfriends, a very nice guy, was the type to buy over-the-top arrangements of red roses for every occasion (and lots of Black Hills Gold, too). Baby's breath, ferns, the whole deal - ghastly, even back then, when we had lots of tall, stiff bangs and wore leggings without any sense of irony. His gifts were nice, and they were dreadfully expensive, but they showed a lack of sincerity. His idea of good flowers was to buy whatever cost the most.

The second boyfriend, from my senior year, gave me the sweetest bouquet I have ever received - a Snapple bottle filled with black-eyed susans that he had picked from his family's orchards. I still blush just thinking about it. He must have spent a while finding good flowers (they tend to get eaten by things). Now, that kind of stunt might be a bit too much for 20-somethings (and flower gardens in most of the US are rather barren in February), but there's no reason why you can't arrange a bunch of wildflowers on your own.

Nix the baby's breath, ferns, and additional greens. That's all I have to say about that.

Don't buy them at Costco. Maybe other people have had better experiences, but Costco flowers have always died insanely early in my household. Try getting to your local farmer's market (if they are open at this time of year in your region) when they open, so you'll have first pick. If you don't have a farmer's market right now, go to the store where you plan to buy your flowers and ask the florist when their shipments come in. That way, you can snap up a bouquet earlier than everyone else. I'm not suggesting you show up at 3:00AM to buy flowers (or am I?), but it's either a little bit of legwork, or plunking down an extra $40 for good flowers - your choice.

Some floral recommendations:

Lilies come in a wide variety of colors, but the most common are the star-gazers, which are pink and white, with magenta dots (the yellow ones don't seem to be fragrant at all - avoid them unless you jsut love them to death). These can be pricey, too, but they smell glorious, and you don't need more than two stems, usually. Hint: try to remove the pollen pods with a pair of scissors. When these drop, they are extremely messy and can leave stains on fabric.

Wildlflowers are often cheaper than other flowers, and are charming.

Cut orchids in a simple asymmetrical vase are striking. There are such a wide variety of orchids that I don't know which one to recommend, but there are some small yellow orchids that are often sold at Trader Joe's and other places for something like $4 a stem. They often last for over a month. I can't keep a potted orchid alive for the life of me, so this is a nice way to get a temporary orchid fix.

Daisies are fresh and cute, but should probably delivered NOT in a vase, but held in a bunch in your hand, with a big, dumb, in-love grin on your face. Trust me.

Tulips are fresh and spring-like, and usually affordable. Choose an unusual shade, like orange, or striped, and put them in a vase with a wide, matching colored ribbon taped around it. Chic.

I went to the public market here in Seattle the other day and bought a bouquet of hyacinths for my neighbors. These are, hands-down, my favorite flower of spring. They smell intense, they are thick and cold and fun to touch, and very unusual. You probably won't see them in colder regions, but if you can get your hands on some, you'd best. I think I spent $12 on a lovely little bouquet.

Another thing that shows up at farmer's markets fairly early are flowering branches. These are often prohibitively expensive, but occasionally reasonable. Cherry blossoms are a beautiful thing to behold.