There aren’t many services you can count on being free, so you really ought to take advantage of professional shoppers who will do all the heavy lifting for you at better department stores and some specialty stores like J.Crew and Anthropologie. There’s no obligation to buy, and no requirement that you shop for expensive merchandise. Call ahead, be specific about your wants and needs, and feel free to say no if it’s not for you. Of course, often, it is exactly what you need – and what you didn’t even know you wanted.

So who are the Twin Cities’ best personal shoppers? Shop Girls listeners weighed in last week with their recommendations:

• Mary Sickel at Nordstrom, Mall of America. “She will pull things ahead of time, but also, once she gets a feel for what you like she keeps pulling things as you are in the dressing room. She’s also great with accessories!” – Cori
• Meg at Nordstrom, MOA. “She does an outstanding job,” – Jen
• Hot Mama, seven Twin Cities locations. ”Not necessarily personal shoppers, but they do a good job of helping you pull looks together.” – Jen
• Heidi Melena at the Armani counter at Nordstrom. “She loves to help with gifts on top of being a tremendous makeup artist.” – Nia

• Who is your favorite?