Coupon site helps consumers, charities

There are plenty of coupon sites on the Internet, but one of the latest to go up lets users pick charities that the Web site will give money for printing its coupons.

CommonKindness has a stimulus plan of its own by donating 60% of its profits to charities and causes selected by people who visit the site and clip coupons. The site went live this month.

A recession is a perfect time to launch a coupon Web site, as more people look for ways to save money, said Calandra Cruickshank, president of CommonKindness and one of two moms who started the site.

"Everybody's watching their pennies and trying to figure out how to make a dollar last longer," Cruickshank said in a telephone interview from Big Indian, N.Y.

"Consumers really want to give back. They want to support their local nonprofit," she said.