I drive a 2001 Honda Accord LX. Other than having to crank the car a few times on cold mornings to get her to start, I've never had any issues with my battery since I've owned the vehicle (which has been about 6 months). Today when I tried to start it, all of the dash lights started flickering, and I could hear a clicking sound. I took the key out to give it a second, and when I tried to put the key in again none of the interior lights or dash lights came on. We tried to jump it and that didn't work either.
So I went out and bought a new battery, hooked it up, and the car started without any problem. When I tried to start her again, only some interior lights came on, and dimly, while no dash lights came on. Second try and not even the interior lights stayed on. We unhooked the battery for 5 mins and then put it back in and she started just fine again. We're keeping her running for a bit, and I figured I'd come online and look for help. I'm really worried about driving to work on my own now.
Any ideas about what is going on and what we can do to fix it???

 

1. Visually examine the battery cables and their connections along the length of the cables. Are they clean (i.e., no corrosion, etc.; look under the protective rubber cover too on the positive cable terminal) and connections tight?

Also, take a look at the alternator connections.

2. You may want to get the charging system checked. Many auto parts shops will test the charging system for free.