Why shop at local businesses you ask?  Well it's simple.  Any community, organization, family, etc...needs to bring in more money than it puts out.  What happens with your personal finances if you spend more than you make?  Pretty simple, eh.  YOU GO BROKE!  Now, I'm not an extremist...I don't believe you should do with out.  However, if you can buy the things you need from a local business, doesn't it make sense?  Let's, for example, take an imaginary fast food restaurant: McDougals.  What happens to all of the money that we the community spend in their fine eating establishment?  Seems pretty simple to me.  Even if they are extremely charitable, they are not going to give away more than they make.  I am not a fanatic, but I do my best to support the businesses of my community.  Much like sitting in the passenger compartment of a commercial air liner, I have invested in the pilot.  He has a lot at stake in seeing me safely on the ground again.  When we spend money in a local business we are investing in our community.  They have a vested interest in seeing that I am happy and well taken care of.