On the drive to work this morning, I heard a report that clipping coupons is back in vogue — and even younger people are doing it.

A story in today’s New York Times makes the argument that during our days of gluttonous consumption, coupons weren’t cool. But with the economy in the tank, it seems more people of all ages are happy to present their 50 cents off or 10 percent discount piece of paper.

I don’t know how to break it to the New York Times, but I never stopped using coupons. Saving money has always been cool for me, and…

As President Obama’s approval numbers slip under 50 percent for the first time in Ohio, Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Cincinnati yesterday to defend the administration’s economic recovery package and to ask for patience.

A second stimulus package is already being considered and Republicans are calling the first one passed in February, a “failure,” according to MSNBC. Here’s some more information from Reuters:

Almost five months after Democrats used their majorities in the U.S. Congress to push through the stimulus, the two-year package has had little impact as anxious Americans watch the country’s unemployment rate surge to 9.5 percent.

The White House had…

Ten states struggled to pass budgets before the Tuesday deadline, including Illinois. According to the Wall Street Journal, state governments could face partial shutdowns if budgets aren’t created soon.

In Illinois, the new fiscal year has already started with no budget, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.

The state will ultimately be more than $9 billion in the red for the fiscal year that starts today, Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration says, unless the Legislature provides new revenue. He has warned of potential deep cuts in human services such as day care subsidies and elder care, as well as interruptions in other state…

As Congress considers the Obama Administration’s proposed cap-and-trade program, Republicans recently drafted their own energy proposal that focuses heavily on nuclear power.

Republicans’ Energy Proposal (Source: New York Times)

• sets a goal of building 100 Nuclear reactors over the next 20 years
• provides incentives for increased oil and gas production on public and private lands and offshore
• authorize oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska
• does not include any mandatory cap on emissions of heat-trapping gases, relying instead on nuclear energy, natural gas and renewable fuels like wind, solar and biomass power to reduce production of the gases

Here’s a video of Senator Lamar Alexander talking…

The worldwide recession isn’t hurting McDonald’s.

The fast-food giant reported a big jump in its same-store sales for last month,

Between its dollar menu and its value meals, you can feed a family for pretty small money. It might not always be the best choice if you’re looking for healthy food, but…

In our family, we have cut back on eating out for a while now — in part because we like to cook at home and in part because we’re trying to cut back on expenses. But sometimes it’s darn convenient to drive through McDonald’s for a quick dinner.

Have you been dining…