No doubt many consumers were happy to say farewell to 2008 with its record home foreclosures, massive job losses, and weak credit market.

NEW YORK -- Speculation about what kind of puppy the new first family will get has intrigued the nation since President-elect Barack Obama publicly promised his daughters a pooch.

Remember when life was simpler, people cooked for themselves, shopped less, mended old clothes and ate food grown in their gardens? That's how they managed to save. Some people still live that way, even pride themselves on frugality. In a tough economy, many people tighten their budgets by simplifying their lives.

Amid the din of bad economic news, everybody is looking for ways to save a buck. The good news is that because of where we live, here in one of the agricultural breadbaskets of the nation, one of the best ways of saving money is by shopping local.