Aside from the character, the culture, and — ugh — the G train, us Brooklyners have something even more fundamental in common: We don’t mind paying a little less for rent than our Manhattanite brethren.

In fact, we don’t mind paying a little less in general. We rather enjoy it, you could say.

Enter Groupon, a site you’ve probably heard of and possibly neglected to explore. With subsites for most big cities — Brooklyn included — Groupon offers sweet deals from local businesses.

It works like this:

• Brooklyn biz contacts Groupon with a potential promotion — an $X coupon for less than $X cash — as well as the number of buyers the business would need to make it worth their while.
• Groupon posts the offer online — a new one every day! — and allows customers to purchase coupons via credit card. (Or Groupon gift certificate. My birthday is coming up, guys — take note.)
• If enough customers purchase the coupons, the deal is on! If not, everyone gets their money back. No hard feelings.

So, for example, Groupon’s current deal allows you to purchase a $30 coupon for the cleverly named 5 Burro Cafe for $15. The deal became “on” shortly after 8 this morning, when 30 people had purchased coupons. The current number is over 200.

How do you save $$$ in Brooklyn?