Bargaining has been around as long as humans have been trading goods for other goods. Coupons, deals and discounts have taken on many forms, from cutouts in the Sunday paper to customer loyalty cards, and like anything else, continue to evolve as consumerism catches up with the technology age. The latest incarnation — one that is catching on big time — is the daily deal Web site. Sites like Groupon and Living Social bring customers in to businesses by offering a limited-time discount, usually to the tune of about 50 percent the normal price. A win-win for both consumer and business, it doesn’t seem likely this trend will be on its way out any time soon. And now, one La Jollan has found a way to get in on the action — and get a leg up on the competition. Troy Foss, an entrepreneur with a background advising Internet startup companies, has been keeping an eye on the daily deal phenomenon for more than a year. He said he was impressed by the concept, but wondered if there were a way to make it even better. “I was watching this incredible industry grow really fast, and wondering how it would continue to grow and support itself,” he said. “In my opinion, it will have to merge into a more community-based, hyper-local model.” With that in mind, Foss took the daily deal model and decided to apply it as close to home as possible: in his own community. Deal Me In Today, Foss’ new venture set to launch sometime around May 18, will offer deals exclusively for businesses in La Jolla. While other sites offer deals for businesses all over the city, Foss said that was the main problem he could see with the business model. “I’m not really interested in driving all over San Diego to get my 50 percent off,” he said. “If the whole goal is to generate repeat customers but people aren’t coming back after the deal is over because they don’t live in the area, that’s a problem. Ideally, we’d like to create a long-term client for these businesses. And the consumer wins because they’re getting deals relevant to them that are all taking place in their community.” In Foss’ model, consumers sign up for the service, and are then offered a new deal every day. Hoping to gain even more leverage on the competition, Foss added another unique twist to Deal Me In Today: charity. Not only will consumers get a deal on a local product or service, they’ll also be benefiting local schools with their dollars. Foss set up a partnership between area schools and participating businesses so that a percentage of each purchase made goes back to the school. Eventually, he hopes to include other nonprofit organizations for their share of the local purchasing power. Foss hasn’t done it all alone. When he conceived the idea, he took it to La Jollans Michael and Deborah Arnau. The Arnaus, they said, didn’t need much convincing to jump on board as investors. “I loved the idea of a hyper-local company featuring places I go to and merchants I’m familiar with,” said Deborah Arnau, who has a background in fundraising and education. “I also love tying the profits into local schools, and with all the budget concerns recently, it provides the perfect opportunity to generate some much-needed funds for the schools.” Eventually, Foss hopes to expand and create localized daily deal sites for other communities as well. For now, he hopes to see Deal Me In Today take off and benefit La Jolla. “The most important thing is that we’re connecting with both the community and the schools,” he said. “We have local business owners and salespeople that are familiar with the community, a Web site that looks and feels local, and business write-ups from local voices. It’s really coming from one La Jollan to another.” Click here to visit Deal Me In Today’s official website