RICHMOND, Va. -- Lauren Puryear loves a bargain. She goes to great lengths to find one.
“I go to the grocery store a lot,” said Lauren.
“I’m on a mission. I know how much I need and how much I need to order.”
Doesn’t matter the aisle from pharmacy to the frozen. The VUU graduate makes cents. Lots of cents by extreme couponing.
Lauren Puryear
“It is so much fun. I have a lot of fun doing this,” said Lauren. “Oatmeal. You can save one dollar when you buy any two packs of oatmeal.”
She is a familiar face at grocery stores.
“I love it. It is my favorite thing, but only when I have coupons,” said Lauren who is saving bundles.
“Hundreds of thousands of dollars you can save,” added Lauren.
But this mother who recently moved to northern Virginia isn’t just shopping for her family. Lauren is saving for strangers.
Lauren Puryear
“This is my passion and any opportunity I can get to help others, I will take it,” she said.
For the Love of Others is her six-year-old non-profit that feeds the homeless and hungry, using her couponing prowess.
“It’s a perfect match. It was my answered prayer. Now I’ve fed over 90,000 meals all throughout the U.S.,” said Lauren.
Lauren cooks and organizes feedings using the groceries she collects for pennies on the dollar.
“I have about 100 coupons here. So, I could get about 100 toothpastes for free,” said Lauren.
Lauren Puryear
She dedicates her efforts to her grandmother, Marion, who imparted a lifelong lesson.
“She taught us the importance of loving other people and giving back to the community.”
One of Lauren’s goals was to serve 30,000 meals by her 30 birthday last September. She nearly doubled it. Lauren says opening your heart can feed your soul.
That nourishment was on full display when our interview was paused briefly by Karen. A woman once homeless who overheard what Lauren does.
“I think it is a marvelous thing you’re doing because there are a lot of homeless people out here that is eating out the trash can and eating out of the trash can and I think it is a blessing and I want to thank you,” said Karen.
Lauren is taking her efforts national touching families coast to coast.
“I hope this could become a worldwide global thing where everybody coupons to feed the hungry,” Lauren explained.
Lauren Puryear proving there is lots of value in being kind to others.
“This is my passion. I love it. I wake up in the morning and say, “I’m so excited to go couponing today.”
For the Love of Others’ next feeding event is in Las Vegas.
Watch CBS 6 News at 6 p.m. Thursdays for Greg McQuade's "Heroes Among Us" features. If you know of someone CBS 6 should should feature, email heroes@wtvr.com. Click here to view more "Heroes Among Us" reports.
Watch CBS 6 News at 6 p.m. Thursdays for Greg McQuade's "Heroes Among Us" reports. If you know of someone CBS 6 should should feature, email heroes@wtvr.com
