Extreme Couponer Finds Fame in New Jersey

You might think you're good at couponing. But you haven't met Lauren Puryear.

Puryear, 29, is from Woodbridge, Virginia, but she was mistakenly identified as being from Woodbridge, New Jersey in a newspaper article. But that article was shared 139,000 times because of Puryear's extreme couponing skills: Puryear can feed up to 150 people on just $20, depending on what she buys.

"I don't think most people realize: With coupons a lot of items are free," Puryear told Patch. "And most stores double coupons up to .99 cents every day. I had a (coupon for) .55 cents off a pack of Ballpark hot dogs, and Safeway had them on sale for $10/10, so I got .10 overage for each pack. I used the overage to buy buns."

Why does she need to feed 150 people? Puryear, who is originally from Paterson, NJ, does couponing because it enables her to buy a lot food in bulk, which she then donates to those in need. She has a goal of delivering 30,000 meals to people in need by her 30th birthday. She's delivered 5,572 meals so far.

"I cook the food and serve it," she said. "I have dropped uncooked food off at pantries before, too."

In fact, she started the non-profit For The Love of Others in honor of her grandmother, who passed away four years ago and who instilled in her the values of helping others. She also partners with Resurrection Church in Baltimore to provide Thanksgiving baskets with a turkey, stuffing and all the sides.

"I started couponing for food items like spaghetti, meatballs, and I was (often) able to get the items for free or for little to no money," she told NJ.com. "There are coupons in the Sunday paper, or online that you can print ... so I collect as many as I can, match them to the store and that is how I am able to get the items for free."

"My #1 coupon tip would be to follow the rules and be patient," she said. "Because good sales always come."

Puryear is a single mother of a 5-year-old who works as a mental health clinician.