i need a quick overview of domain names.
main questions:
how much do they generally cost?
what's a decent price?
how/where (what website) is the best to get it from?
also, i need the cheapest i can get.
is there one flat payment, or do you pay per year?

and other information is appreciated. i'm a total newb to the domain thing.

depending on the extension, if you're looking for a .com or .org or .net, generally between $5 & $10 is a good price. some places outrageously charge $15+.

1and1.com & godaddy.com will probably give you the best prices, and often you can go lower if you get your hands on a promotional code (google is your friend).

prices are yearly, but sometimes if you buy multi-yearly you'll get a small discount.

as for who you go with and how you get it, it might depend on how private you want it to be. when you sign up for any domain, your name, phone number, email address and mailing address will be available for anyone to see. if you find a company that gives you whois privacy protection, it might be wise to invest in that if you don't want people to be able to find your information. sometimes privacy protection is free, sometimes it costs a couple more dollars per month. it all depends on where you get it.