"Extreme Couponers" turn deals into extreme giving

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 - 4:04 PM CST

The TLC show "Extreme Couponing" highlights people who use coupons and store deals to purchase large quantities of groceries and other products for next to nothing or even for free.

Unlike some couponers who have received criticism for stockpiling years' worth of supplies for themselves, Chris and Ashley Duff, who were featured in a May episode, are on the hunt for good deals so they can abundantly help others.

Chris and Ashley Duff, with their daughter Elizabeth, are extreme couponers who use their incredible deals to provide for the needs of others.

The Duffs, who have been married for five years and have a one-year-old daughter named Elizabeth, attend Central Assembly of God in Houston, Pennsylvania. Chris recently completed an internship with the couple's church and is currently studying at Global University to earn his credentials with the PennDel Ministry Network. Ashley is a stay-at-home mom.

Despite their limited income, the Duffs are passionate about giving to people in need. The couple spends approximately 10 hours each week cutting coupons out of Sunday newspapers and researching sales so that they can maximize their deals at the checkout counter.

"Not everybody has a six-figure income to bless their community, but by doing this, we are on track to give away over $100,000 of stuff this year," Chris shares.

The Duffs donate the goods to a number of local charities, thereby providing for the needs of people who are homeless, disabled veterans, women with unexpected pregnancies and many others.

"I would never want to put in all of the effort and time if somebody wasn't benefitting from this other than myself," Ashley shares. "To us, it's all about the people who are in need that are receiving this stuff."

About a year ago, Chris and Ashley approached Stephen Getchell, lead pastor of Central Assembly of God, with their idea to host monthly Hope Dinners at the church for people from the local mission and homeless shelters. The purpose of the dinners was to demonstrate Christ's love to people in need while providing them with a delicious meal and treating them with dignity.

Thanks to the Duffs' couponing skills and personal contributions, Central Assembly is able host the dinners for a very low cost. Chris and Ashley also bless guests with groceries, giveaways and prizes that they obtain through coupons.

"I was just overwhelmed and amazed that they could do that with [coupons]. I thought you could only save about $20," Getchell says, describing the Hope Dinners as "an incredible ministry."

Anywhere from 40 to 100 people attend the Hope Dinners, where volunteers dressed in black tie serve the guests using nice dinnerware that the Duffs were able to purchase at an incredibly low price from a hotel's garage sale. Many of the Hope Dinner attendees are now going to Central Assembly of God as a result of feeling welcomed and loved at the church through the outreach.

Getchell says this demonstrates the Duffs' heart for ministry, "It's not about couponing as much as it is about compassion and sharing Christ ultimately."

He continues, "They have such a compassionate heart. Some people have compassion with not a whole lot of energy. They have compassionate hearts and action. The heart of Jesus, creative minds and an energetic passion to follow through on what the Spirit is saying to them."

Chris' love of couponing began as a child.

"When I was about 10 years of age, my mom got me started personally by giving me the coupon and running to the store," Chris recalls. He so much enjoyed the thrill of finding a good deal that, "From then on it's just been something that I've incorporated into my everyday life."

Getchell has known Chris since 1996 when he served as principal and teacher at the Christian school Chris attended. Over the years, Getchell has witnessed Chris's ability to track down sales and do the math required to get the best deals.

"I don't think he's paid retail price for anything as long as I've known him," Getchell says. "He sees the benefit of this gifting that God has given him."

While Chris's couponing and mathematical skills are essential to what the couple is able to accomplish through their extraordinary giving, Chris is quick to credit Ashley's heart for generosity.

"My wife taught me about giving through this process," Chris says. "Being the provider of the family, most of the time as the male, we want some financial breathing room. This has helped us a lot from a faith perspective to trust God for our needs...God's shown a lot of favor in this endeavor to help out people."

For the Duffs, appearing on an episode of "Extreme Couponing" provided an opportunity for them to share their faith with a large audience, while hoping to inspire other Christians to provide for their communities using coupons.

Passionate about what they have been able to provide through couponing, the Duffs want to instruct and inspire others to start clipping.

"We want to be able to show other churches or Christian organizations how to do this so they can replicate what we are doing in their own communities," Ashley says. "If every AG church in a large city started doing this, all of our communities would be taken care of."

The Duffs believe that providing for peoples' physical needs naturally leads to opportunities to speak to their spiritual needs.

Chris explains, "Just like Jesus when he was feeding the 5,000, he fed them first and then he shared the gospel. So you can live out your faith through your giving and then you can share Jesus through it. It's a win-win."