Save Money by Visiting Local Merchants

With the economy continuing to leave a bad taste in the mouth of some consumers, many continue to look for ways to save money while still getting the most out of life. After all, no one wants to sit at home all the time because of a lack of funds. Fortunately, there are many opportunities to save money on a variety of events, products, and services in your local area.

Restaurants offer many discounts during the week. I live in Charlotte, NC, and the restaurants are plentiful. Charlotte's self-proclaimed favorite Mexican Restaurant, Zapata's Mexican Cantina, allows kids under 12 to eat free on Sundays with each paying adult. Firehouse Subs and Quaker Steak and Lube, with various locations also offer meal discounts. Kids eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of a combo after 4 p.m. at Firehouse, while kids eat for $0.99 on Monday nights at Quaker Steak. Many restaurants offer specials on certain days of the week. Check your local newspaper, or your favorite restaurant's website, to find out more information.

But great local deals don't just end with food. A very popular website to find local deals is Groupon. This website has deals for specific cities. You can register at the site and receive emails daily with the "Deal of the Day," which has ranged from picture framing and massages to oil changes and pedicures. Some recent very popular deals (more than 1,000 purchases in a day) on Groupon included $5 for $10 worth of ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery and Chocolate from The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and $49 for a 90-minute massage at Massage Envy.

Another great way to save money with local merchants is to visit your local farmer's market. Not only is the produce usually of better quality, but less expensive. As a bonus, you are positively impacting your community and environment by creating community pride and reducing negative environmental impact by reducing the effects of long shipping distances.

Saving money is never a bad thing, especially in this current economic climate. Fortunately, there is a good deal to be found around every corner in your local area.