Miranda,
without knowing exactly the type of terrain you will be on, I will give you a 'short answer' based on my own experience.
Here is the Tubbs website, which clearly shows the various 'levels' of shoes.
http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/produc..._snowshoes.asp
I know the Tubbs shoes so I am using them to help explain the various levels of shoes.

I seriously doubt you will need either of the top two "back country" heavy duty shoes the Tubbs site shows. They are for treacherous mountainous shoeing or heavy backpacking on steep terrain.

As to the low level Sojourn shoes- they are the cheapest but are for flat recreational light duty shoeing. My girlfriend had them and did have some trouble slipping when we were going up and down trails through the woods. Also the fasteners and strap system is a bit cheesy.

I would recommend the two day hiking shoes shown. I have the Wilderness model for myself, and the slightly cheaper Venture model for guests. The wilderness has MUCH better buckles/straps system, and I would say spend the extra money to get the Wilderness over the Venture for ease of use getting in and out of them in the cold snow. They both have good crampons. I find the Wilderness to be a great rugged shoe that I can turn and maneuver in very well.

Unless you are over 180 pounds, get the 25" or 26" shoes- they are PLENTY long enough. The bigger ones are good for heavy people or big tall men, but they are harder to manuever and turn in because of their big size.

Once you pick the model and the size you want, you can compare prices online and get a decent deal. I got one pair through an Ebay dealer and was delighted with the quick service. You can get last year's models sometimes for less- find out the previous model name and level.

Don't bother with poles for the time being...i never used mine after the first time, and I go through hilly woods a lot. Leg gators are a great investment however- they totally keep the snow from getting into your boots or from freezing your calves or ankles.

How much snow do you need? Well it doesn't really matter much whether you are wearing light duty or heavy duty snowshoes....you still will need at least 6" of snow to snowshoe effectively. Any less than that and there's not much point to snowshoeing- better to just wear boots.

I do think that snowshoes might come in handy during a big blizzard (hey I remember those!) and for fun use, they are a relatively cheap sports equipment investment compared to other recreations. And they last a long time without tuneups.

Hope this is helpful...