We all know, and will begrudgingly admit, that taxes have to exist to pay for key services that only some arm of government can provide. Police? Check. Fire? Check. Roads? Check. Military? Check. And so on, ad infinitum. But it is the ad infinitum that encompasses most of the conflicts. Where does the spending, and the taxing, or the indebtedness stop, and at what cost point?

Even in this era of economic hardship, the term "frugality" is rarely used. Nor do you hear much of its cousin, "thrifty." Perhaps the reason is because we haven't suffered long enough -- it's only when scarcity prevails over generations that thrift becomes part of the culture.

With home prices tanking and foreclosures soaring, there's been a rush to rent over the last few years. But for those who have the financial ability and credit-worthiness to purchase a home in this market, the decision to buy vs. rent is not so cut and dry.

The long-lasting recession has had one not-too-surprising upshot: More individuals put away the credit cards and embraced a cash-only lifestyle. Studies show people who do so spend less and save more. That's the good news -- but there are definitely downsides to ditching the plastic.

I've been told that the classic journalism story is a dog bite piece. So did you realize that dog bites are responsible for 1/3 of the liability freight on your homeowner policy? Nibble on this and a few more interesting facts.