About Me:
I am 34 years old and I just celebrated 14 years of marriage with my husband on October 7th. I have 2 children, 2 dogs and 1 cat. We live in Edmond,Oklahoma.I have also been a member of Edmond Road Baptist Church for 30 years where I participate in the music ministry. I was a stay at home for 12 years and started my site to help friends and family learn how to save money. It was a great hobby for me and it felt great being able to contribute to my family.
In 2005 my husband was rushed to the emergency room on Easter morning and was later diagnosed with a degenerative disease called “ankylosing spondylitis”. Our life was totally about to change. Since there is no cure for this disease we have spent lots of hours in and out of the hospital, several surgeries and more meds than I can count on my fingers. My once small time hobby of pinching a few pennies here and cutting a few coupons there turned into a necessity. The Remicade infusions that he takes are $8,000 every 6 weeks. This is just one of his many meds .Without insurance it would be a scary situation. My mom has has Klippel-Feil Syndeom which she has had from birth. Basically she has fusion of the last 2 cervical and all of the thoraic vertabre which causes Scoliosis. The last 3 ribs in front are also fused. She also has a splitting of the Sinal Cord in the cervical area about 1 to 2 cm.In 2009 my mom got very sick and had to go on disability. In Jan. of 2010 we made the decison to have my mom move in with us. We are currently looking for a home in our price range that will accomidate our entire family.This has been a struggle both financially and emotionally for our entire family. But I have a strong Christian faith and God has helped us get through this tremendously. He has helped me see that there are many families out there struggling just like us and has blessed me with the ability help teach others about my frugalness. That’s when my hobby became a ministry.
In 1996 Morestealsanddeals.com was formed which is now called ConsumerQueen.com. The original purpose of the website was to help other families struggling and in very similar situations like us feel good about being able to contribute so much just by clipping a few coupons. ConsumerQueen.com has grown extensively over the past 2 years with over 24,000 members across the United States. While members get great deals and awesome savings on things that their families use every day, many members “pay it forward” by donating some of the name brand items that they receive for free or at a very low cost to local churches and shelters. ConsumerQueen.com has been and always will be a free site for all who wish to register. Deals are broken down by store and explained so people new to couponing and those who have years of experience can all understand every deal. Every member is encouraged to post deals and to brag about their shopping adventures.
I think my eyes were really opened up about couponing the day I walked out of a local Albertsons towing 3 grocery carts behind me that totaled $1880 and I only paid $19. I was able to provide enough groceries for my family and had plenty left over to donate to my church as well as the battered women’s shelter. Now this was one of my more extreme shopping trips but still to this day I am able to usually save 50 to 75% off my grocery bill if not more. I have been invited to do interviews with several local TV stations and newspapers. I currently do “The Deals of the Week” on the Jack and Ron morning show on Kiss 98.9FM every Wed. morning . We have also been featured on the Today Show as well as newspaper and magazine articles.We are looking to expand our media exposure as we feel the more people we can reach the more people we can help.
It’s not about how much money “I” can save, it’s about how many more people can we reach and help! Anyone can be a “Coupon Queen” it just takes a little bit of dedication and self discipline. Now that I am working full time I do struggle with not being able to do as much shopping as I use to but feel good knowing that I am still helping others. One day I hope to find a job working from home, making the same salary I am now and still have the insurance benefits. I now work for Fast Fixin as their Internet Marketing Manager full time and still run my blog.
Below are a few links you may want to check out:
Our Media Page: (Interviews etc): http://www.consumerqueen.com/?page_id=298
Our You Tube Savings Videos: http://www.youtube.com/consumerqueen
Help Keep our site free by printing your coupons here: http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=13305&zid=pp18&nid=10We get credit for each coupon printed!
** I am proud to be apart of Walmarts 11 Moms Program!
Disclosure Policy
I think your site is FABULOUS and deserving of the “Fabulous Blog Award”.
I choose you as 1 of 5 sites that I adore and think is deserving of such an award.
You can see my post and your award at:
http://alwaysknitalways.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-blogging-world-bloggers-give-out.html
A Huge Fan!
Christine
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Hi Melissa,
I am new to your website & it is awesome! I also saw the Coupon Ministry on YouTube & am interested in starting something like it in my area. I live in Katy TX and have used coupons for about months. I cannot seem to save more than 50% yet. Anyway can you give me info and any suggestions for starting a Coupon Ministry please
Thank you
Rosa
Melissa, I registered with you along time ago and now I am trying to logon to your site and it tells me my e-mail address is already used.Can you help me?Gail Walters
I think that this is wonderful. I have recently gotten separated from my husband after 10 years of marriage and we were together 17 years. We have a 5 year old son and we remain very best friends. I bought my own home and the next week got laid off from my job. I have been constantly working for work since November, i was lucky to have a few months worth savings to help me get through. I think it is so wonderful you are doing this.
Melissa, your site is really great! I can’t wait to start saving. Thank you for providing this ministry.
The name is perfect…you are a queen!!
Thanks veryy muchhhhh for the page..
God bless u and your family!!
Melissa,
OH MY!! I just found your blog from Wise Bread and am writing a blog about really good personal finance blogs and their twitter followers for the site I work on call BillSavings.
I read your ‘About Me’ and was AMAZED when you told me about your husband and his ankylosing spondylitis! My jaw dropped b/c my father has had it since he was in his early 20’s (now 65). I just want to tell you that I can relate as I have a family member with the same condition.
Anyway, I will be adding your blog to the list and will let you know when it’s posted!
Thanks for your site and take care,
Victoria Edwards
SEO/Social Media for BillSavings.com
I have stumble onto this site & I think it was the Lord who got me hear. This is great I am having to learn about how to use the site & more. I have used coupons & use them some still now but I live where they dont have triple coupons much so I hope to learn more. I love the ideal to pay it forward. I know the Church could use some of the stuff & we have so many lose their homes to fires around here & this wouold be a Blessing for these people.
You are a Blessing I will enjoy this site
Renee
I just found out about your website through the news. They had a little segment about this site last week. I can not remember what channel, but I thank them for giving us your info. I am always looking for a good deal. Thanks for taking the time & energy to create this site to help all the MOM’s out there that are looking to save MONEY.
jessie
I am very interested in learning how to do this! I am also a christian.
Hi Melissa,
Your site is certainly interesting. I am from Naples, Fl, and spend summers in N.Y. The Naples Daily News wrote a great article about you and your site. I am happy to be a member. Thank You for making this possible. Dee111
On Friday, I met my daughter at a local (in Florida) “Panera” Restaurant to have a light dinner. As I was ordering our food, I thougth I would order one of their cinnamon bagels to take home to my husband. He loves them! I was asked if I would like cream cheese with that. I said yes, the plain flavor would be fine. These are small containers of cream cheese – enough for one bagel. After I paid and was waiting for our food I noticed an extra charge for a $1.00 at the end of my ticket. It was for the tiny container of cream cheese. She did not inform me that there would be a charge for the cream cheese. The bagel only cost a little over a dollar ( I think $1.16). I asked that the cancel the cream cheese and refund my dollar and tax. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t afford the cream cheese, but it was the principal of how they did it. Just wanted to let other know that if you visit Panera ask them what the charges are for the extras! I wonder how many people don’t check their receipts until after they are home and have spread that expensive cheese. This is no way to get me to return to their establishment. I know the economy is tough, but don’t take it out on us consumers in this manner.
Signed,
No longer a “Panera” fan.
Your blog was referred in the “The Frugal Family” section in the Des Moines Register and I had to check it out. Too cool!
[...] (0) | Email This Coupons are hot. No one knows this more than the Melissa Garcia, a.k.a the Consumer Queen, who runs the money-saving website of the same name. Garcia and her small staff of co-queen [...]
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Good to see a great Oklahoman doing great things for other people. Thanks so much for a wonderful site. I just happened to stumble accross it and I love it!
[...] About Me [...]
Your story is AMAZING and God has blessed u and your family and in return your are blessing others!!! Thats awesome in a world of such negative and times getting so tough! However i just have one question, Im so upset bc my local stores do not give any catalinas at the register and only one double coupons! Is there anyway that u could help me try to understand how to save when i only have coupons from the sunday paper and the internet!!!???? I save alot but my out of pocket is still alot bc i dont have those tickets that everyone pays and talks about!!! Thanx Trisha
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An absolute honor to meet you and your hubby at DisneySMMOms! I see from your “About Me” page that you’ve been charged with the task of reminding others just how good God can be, and just how much we can stay positive amidst major hurdles when we remember that we have the option of looking to our Higher Source to keep us sane.
[...] see our About Me for our family story click here [...]