By SUE STOCK, Raleigh News and Observer

The funny thing about a recession is that it forces people to get real about their money -- something that many avoid at all costs when times are good.

Overall consumer debt, which peaked at $12.5 trillion in 2008, was down to $11.4 trillion at the end of last year.

That means people are saving more. And they're more mindful of purchases.

For today's students, life is all about staring at a screen.

They spend hours doing homework, playing games, chatting with friends, reading books and just hanging out -- all on computers, smart phones and e-readers or tablets.

And doctors say they're starting to pay the price: in eye strain, neck pain and wrist aches.

For the past three years, American consumers have been on a shopping diet. They cut nonessentials from their shopping lists. Yet, they've continued to open their wallets for natural and organic products.

Corporate conference calls rank one step higher than root canals on many investors' to-do lists. But smart stockholders may be able to glean important information by dialing in and paying attention not so much to what is said -- but how the CEO says it.

It's now common for shoppers to slap down their credit or debit card for something as small as a cup of coffee or a pack of gum. But some are returning to the old way: They're paying cash.

Turning away from the age of plastic, these shoppers say that the act of handing over that cold, hard cash makes them think twice about spending -- in a way that using a card does not.

At first glance, a QR code looks like some sort of abstract art. The black and white squiggly lines don't look like the next big thing in marketing and advertising.

But suddenly the symbols seem to be everywhere -- in store windows, on printed advertisements, business cards and Realtors' signs outside homes for sale.

After years of adding everything from groceries to grills to their inventory, drugstore chains are once again emphasizing their pharmacies.

While pharmacists offer a wider range of services, some patients still should go to a doctor instead.

Patients who are in a high-risk group or may be at high risk for complications because of medications may want to consult a doctor as well as a pharmacist before deciding where to seek treatment.

Here's a list of services pharmacies are providing:

First read JP

For two years, grocery stores have sent customers this message: Shopping here will save you money.

Now -- as some consumers appear once again willing to pay for ready-to-go-meals and service -- grocers are trying to shape a new message: Value, not price, matters.

Eight months ago, Earl Yerby was watching a television newscast and saw a report about how quickly germs and bacteria grow inside reusable shopping bags.

He thought someone ought to come up with a way to sanitize those bags.

So he did.