There’s no question we are in the grips of an economic downturn, and the impact of that can be felt on every level, be it from employee layoffs and business closings to spending trends and decreases in charitable giving.

While we are all looking for ways to cut back, there are certain things many will continue to do, like shop for groceries and clothes, buy Christmas presents, provide gifts to needy children, feed the poor and help senior citizens.

It is our hope that for all those purchases, and so many others, we will look to local businesses first, keeping our money in the hands of our friends and neighbors, and helping to ensure that they, too, can survive the tough times we are facing.

There’s really no reason not to do all of our shopping within the confines of our county and the surrounding area. After all, there’s little we can need or want that we can’t find right around us.

If you’re looking for a car or truck, look no further than one of the dealerships right here in our midst. They have the same, if not better, quality service and products than you will find other places, and you will be helping the local economy.

If you’re looking for jewelry, clothing or toys, they’re all here, anything you could possibly want. There’s no need to scan the Internet or shop from a catalogue, when most, if not all, the items you might want to purchase can be found right here. And, again, purchasing local means funneling our money, which we would spend any way, back into our local economy.

Groceries, gifts, furniture, appliances, electronics, computers, flowers, even Christmas trees, are within our grasp, right here or just down the road. We don’t even have to cross the county line to find the things on our shopping list or among the Christmas gifts we might need to purchase.

What’s more, if we are looking for entertainment, or a night out for dinner, we have great restaurants, a good movie theater, a wonderful Arts Council and a great community theater all right here for the taking.

While we aren’t trying to tell anyone how to live their lives or spend their money, we are encouraging you to at least think local before hopping in the car for a long-distance trip, or turning on the computer for the at-home shopping that is often impersonal and far less fun.

During these trying economic times, the money we are fortunate enough to be able to use would be well spent at home, fueling tax revenues for our county and towns and providing a jump-start to local businesses that just might need that financial shot in the arm.

From downtown Clinton and the city’s local shopping centers to small town stores in all our municipalities, there are opportunities to find what we need and purchase it. Doing so could very well make a difference in a business’ economic future and, in turn, our own.