(CNN) -- Steve Carlotta's family-owned camera store is struggling along with other mom and pop stores. But he's found a way to compete with Internet stores and big-box chains. A sampling of one and five BerkShare notes, courtesy of Jason Houston Photography. Carlotta's store accepts BerkShares -- a local currency in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He credits it with helping keep local customers coming back to his store. And as U.S. dollars and credit vanish in this economic crisis, more communities are looking into printing their own currencies. This concept isn't new. During the Great Depression dozens of complementary currencies flourished as thousands of banks failed. Today, it's estimated there are at least 2,500 complementary currency systems around the world, says Bernard Lietaer, a co-founder of the Euro and a local currency proponent. Watch how one town uses their own currency »
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Some communities are printing their own currency for local use
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It's legal as long as currency doesn't resemble U.S. dollars and is paper only
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Any income from business conducted in local currency is subject to taxes
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Some businesses say local currencies keep people spending locally
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