Not too many things are more affordable than FREE!

Whether you want to take the whole family out to see the newly released ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ or Disney/PIXAR’s ‘Brave’ (coming to theatres next Friday 6/22), or if you want to get a group of girlfriends together to see ‘Your Sister’s Sister’ (opens THIS Friday and has great reviews on Rotten Tomatoes), when you buy a group of movie tickets you get ONE FREE movie ticket!

How to Grab a Free Child (2 to 12 year-old) Movie Ticket

Celebrate your son’s birthday or take the kids to see a movie with a group of friends.  Take 2 cars or one van.  Gather a small group of children age 12 or under, and you can let one in for free.  To get in on this deal all you need to do is order movie tickets on Fandango.com and pay with discount Fandango gift cards from Plastic Jungle.  You’ll save 12% on your movie tickets and it will feel like you’re getting one free children’s movie ticket when you purchase 2 adult movie tickets and 5 child movie tickets.  Play date anyone?

How to Get a Free Adult Movie Ticket

Create a Facebook event or text 9 other girlfriends.  If you can put a group of 10 adults together, your movie ticket is free.  Date night with 4 other couples means you and your honey pay half price when you order your movie passes from Fandango and pay with discount Fandango gift cards from Plastic Jungle.  If your college student is in town for the summer, help them go to the movies and stretch their dollars by giving them a discount Fandango gift card.

Plastic Jungle has electronic Fandango gift cards so your free movie tickets can be ordered fast.  Once you check out at Plastic Jungle, your Fandango eCODE is loaded to your Plastic Jungle account in 1-2 business days.  Order by Wednesday, to get your Friday night movie passes for less!

**Be sure to add your reward card information for your local movie theatre when purchasing movie tickets for less from Fandango.com.  You’ll pay less with discount Fandango gift cards AND earn rewards from your local theatre, too. Aside from credit card reward programs, discounts on movie tickets and movie theatre coupons are hard to come by.**

Order your Fandango discount gift cards now to save on seeing movies on the big screen!

Movie ticket prices vary on theatre, time, 3D experience, and geographic location.  Compare Fandango and Plastic Jungle to see how discounts stack up for your area.

Everyone loves to save money, even the staff at Plastic Jungle!

Just like you, we scour the site for the latest deals, sign up for notifications with our favorite merchants and get creative with promo codes and coupons. Want the inside track from company insiders? Each month, I chat with a Plastic Jungle employee from different departments who share their personal savings stories and red hot deals.

Here’s this month’s Staff Pick!

Name: Kyle

Department: Trust and Safety Team

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 8 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase? I bought a $50 Target gift card and used it online.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Free shipping!

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I bought a $100 Fandango gift card for $65 and caught up on some great movies.

Wanna be like Kyle and get a discounted Target gift card? Plastic Jungle currently offers them for 3% off! Check out our selection here.

In addition to saving money on your gift card, you can save money at Target in-store and online with these featured promotions:

Free Shipping. Minimum order $50.

Printable Coupons. Savings on 137 items right now! Click here for the full list.

Weekly Ad. 20 pages of discounted products! To view this week’s ad online, click here.

Save money like Kyle on discounted Fandango gift cards! Scoop them up at Plastic Jungle for 13% off!

Save on Fandango gift cards and take advantage of free movie tickets and special offers!

Visa Card Promo

Movies are always better with a friend, so treat yours to 2-for-1 movie tickets available exclusively to Visa Signature cardholders. Tickets must be purchased on a Friday and used the same day (One offer per card per month.) Read about the details here.

Fandango Sweepstakes

Enter for a chance to win a Family Getaway for 4 to Clearwater, FL to meet Winter, the Star of Dolphin Tale! The grand prize winner will receive round-trip airfare for 4 to St. Petersburg Clearwater, FL, 4 nights at the Sandpearl Resort, 4 VIP tickets to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium including a “Meet and Greet” with Winter the dolphin and a $200 Rental Car gift card. Click here to enter!

Do YOU have a favorite deal to share? Share your story and we’ll feature it in an upcoming blog post!

As you nestle into the fall season, plan to nestle into a theater chair, too – there are lots of good movies coming down the pike!

Here are some of the most anticipated fall flicks:

CONTAGION

The scariest movies are not always the slasher gore-fests. To me, the real horror is something realistic like a global pandemic caused by a fast-spreading lethal virus.

Release date: September 9^th

Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lawrence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Jude Law

Watch the movie trailer here.

MONEYBALL

You gotta love movies that are based on true stories. Brad Pitt plays an Oakland A’s manager who gets creative with baseball drafting on a budget.

Release date: September 23^rd

Starring: Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright

Click here for the official movie trailer.

FOOTLOOSE

Put on your dancing shoes and see the remake of the 1984 hit!

Release date: October 14^th

Starring: Julianne Hough, Kenny Wormald, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller

Dance on over to the movie trailer here.

IN TIME

The multi-talented Timberlake puts on his actor’s hat in this action-thriller.

Release date: October 28^th

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried

Hurry and watch the trailer, before your time runs out.

THE RUM DIARY

When I first saw the title linked with Johnny Depp, I immediately thought this was a tale about Captain Jack Sparrow’s love of the Caribbean cocktail. But those of you who’ve read the Hunter S. Thompson novel know better.

Release date: October 28^th

Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi, Richard Jenkins

Click here to see the movie trailer.

TOWER HEIST

Eddie Murphy is baaaaack! He’s the center of some high-rise high jinks in this comedy-crime flick.

Release date: November 4^th

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Tea Leoni

Click here to unlock the safe and watch the trailer.

TWILIGHT SAGE: BREAKING DAWN, PART I

Whether you’re on Team Jacob or Team Edward, Twilight fans across the globe are counting down to Part I of the fourth and final novel.

Release date: November 18^th

Starring: Kristin Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Dakota Fanning

To get a glimpse of Bella walking down the aisle in the movie trailer, click here.

THE MUPPETS

The first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, follow all your beloved characters as they reunite to save the Muppet Theater.

Release date: November 23^rd

Starring: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Amy Adams, Jason Segel

While it’s not easy being green, it’s easy to watch the Muppets trailer. Click here.

With movie tickets on the rise, a premium for 3-D flicks, and strain-the-pocketbook concession prices, why not save some extra dough with a Plastic Jungle discounted movie gift card? Get 10% off Landmark Theatres, 11% off Fandango and 12% off Cinema De Lux!

What movie are YOU looking forward to seeing this fall?

We love saving money at Plastic Jungle, but you know what we love even more? Free stuff!

Check out these current sweepstakes and try your luck at winning prizes including new cars, exotic vacations, home makeovers and shopping sprees!

BED, BATH & BEYOND

Enter the Gear Up. Boot Up. Rev Up. Sweepstakes at Bed, Bath & Beyond and you might be the Grand Prize Sweepstakes Winner of a brand new 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and 2012 Chevrolet Cruze! Other prizes include two $5000 Bed, Bath & Beyond Shopping Sprees, two Dell Bundles with Xbox 360 consoles and $15,000 cash. They also have an Instant Win Game where you have a chance to win a $25 Bed, Bath & Beyond Gift Card or a Dell V715x All-in-One Printer. You can enter twice a day through September 6, 2011.

Need a discounted Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card now? Buy one now for 10% off!

FANDANGO

Enter Fandango’s Crazy, Stupid, Love Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the British Virgin Islands! One grand prize winner will receive round-trip airfare for 2 to the British Virgin Islands and a 5-night stay for you and a guest a Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina. Entry period through August 5, 2011.

Check out Plastic Jungle’s Fandango gift cards, currently offered at 11% off!

DISNEY

Enter Disney’s Top Secret Spy Sweepstakes for your chance to win a 3-day, 2-night trip to Washington, D.C. for four lucky secret agents to explore the International Spy Museum. to the Spy Museum in Washington, DC and Cars 2: The Video Game for the Wii console. Entries accepted through August 14, 2011.

To see Plastic Jungle’s selection of discounted Disney gift cards, click here.

GNC

Enter GNC’s Power Up Sweepstakes and you’ll have a chance to win The Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment Package that includes a projector, screen, popcorn machine, gas grill, outdoor furniture, speakers, movies and more worth $5,000. You can enter daily through October 31, 2011.

Get a discounted GNC gift card from Plastic Jungle. Check out our latest selection here.

CAREFREE

The grand prize winner of this Refresh Your Routine sweepstakes receives a spa trip for 2 to St. George, UT! The trip includes airfare, a hotel stay at the Red Mountain Spa Resort, ground transportation, three delicious and nutritious meals per day, daily guided morning hikes, unlimited fitness classes, healthy life classes, cooking demonstrations, use of all the resort amenities and a $400 spa allowance per person. (Value $5,080). You can also enter for the chance to win daily prizes including beauty packs, makeup, concert tickets, spa gift cards, laptop cases and more.

Need a spa getaway now? Plastic Jungle has Spa Finder gift cards at 5% off!

PETCO

Enter the PetCo Zoo Sweepstakes for a chance to win their grand prize of a trip for 4 to San Diego, CA. The trip includes airfare, hotel, rental car, (8)-one-day passes to a zoo in Southern California, eight VIP passes valid at a zoo in Southern California, and a $100 Visa prepaid card. (ARV: $5,399). Enter through August 31, 2011.

Plastic Jungle has discounted PetCo gift cards available now for 9% off!

POTTERY BARN AND BENJAMIN MOORE

Enter Pottery Barn and Benjamin Moore’s Living Room Makeover Sweepstakes for your chance to win $10,000 worth of Pottery Barn furnishings, a design consultation with a Pottery Barn Design Studio Specialist, a consultation with a Benjamin Moore Color Consultant and paint and labor. The total prize value is $14,000 and you can enter daily through August
24, 2011.

Pottery Barn gift cards are currently available at Plastic Jungle for 10% off!

You can’t win if you don’t enter!

With temperatures soaring, how do YOU make use of these long, hot summer days?

Last week’s heat wave scorched the Midwest and East Coast and while it seems to have broken, the forecast calls for the rest of the summer to be hot, hot, HOT.

The July heat wave affected nearly 200 million people and roasted folks from Texas to the Dakotas and all the way east to Maine. Not only was it extremely hot, but also dreadfully humid, with blazing temps continuing long after the sun went down.

Records were shattered faster than you could lick a melting ice cream cone. Nationwide, 1,966 daily high maximum temperature records have been broken or tied (through July 23). Check out some of these record highlights:

• Fort Smith, AR has set a new record for the greatest number of consecutive 100 F days, with 20 through July 24.

• Newark, NJ set a new all-time record high of 108 F on July 22, breaking the old record of 105 degrees, set on August 9, 2001.

• The high of 103 F in Boston on July 22 was the city’s hottest day in exactly 85 years.

So how do you literally beat the heat?

If a heat advisory or warning has been issued, follow these important guidelines:

Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. You want to reflect the sun’s UV rays, so steer clear of any dark fabrics.

Avoid strenuous outdoor activity. If you must get out for your daily jog or bike ride, go early. Your motto should be “Shun the Midday Sun.”

Wear Sunscreen! Be generous with the high SPF sunscreen and cover up with a big ‘ole hat and sunglasses.

Don’t let yourself get parched. Drink liquids constantly. If you’re thirsty, it’s too late. Avoid dehydration!

Your parked car is an oven. Never leave children or pets in the car.

Looking for something fun to do inside? Get out of the sticky heat and enjoy some of these air-conditioned activities. With Plastic Jungle’s discounted gift cards, the money you save can be spent on hand-held fans, spritzer bottles and extra popsicles!

Catch the latest flicks inside a cool movie theater! Here’s this week’s Top Box Office:

1. Captain  America: The First Avenger
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
3. Friends With Benefits

And here are some highly-anticipated movies opening this weekend:

• Cowboys & Aliens
• Crazy, Stupid, Love.
• The Smurfs

Check out Plastic Jungle’s movie merchants for our latest deals on gift cards: AMC Theatres, Cinema De Lux, Landmark Theatres, Regal Cinema and Fandango. Or rent a movie from Blockbuster and enjoy it in the comfort of your air-conditioned home.

Got kiddos? Treat them to an outing at Build-A-Bear Workshop or Chuck E. Cheese’s. Your children will be occupied and you can enjoy a nice reprieve from the relentless sun.Or make a stop at GameStop. For their latest deals, including price drops, bonus offers and hot games under $20, click here.

For a limited time, Build-A-Bear Workshop is offering a free Smurf’s Locker Poster when you buy any Make-Your-Own Smurf.

Want to stay cool AND get a little R&R? Indulge in a spa treatment! Plastic Jungle currently offers Spa Finder gift cards at a 5% discount. Accepted at over 6,000 spas around the globe, they can be used for the spa treatment of your choice. Go ahead – you deserve it! And be sure to ask about local discounts in your area. I live in Reno, NV and both the Peppermill and Atlantis spas offer 15% off Monday-Thursday if you show your Nevada state drivers license.

References: http://www.weather.com/outlook/wxready/articles/id-68,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/heat-wave-2011-stunning-national-statistics/2011/07/24/gIQAJ1FcYI_blog.html

YOU!

Score “Cool Mom and Dad” points this summer by taking your kiddos to see the highly-anticipated Cars sequel. (Cars 2 opens June 24th.) Join Lightning McQueen and his gang as they race in the World Grand Prix and meet several new friends (and enemies…Muahahahaha) throughout their international adventure.

With movie tickets on the rise, a premium for 3-D flicks, and strain-the-pocketbook concession prices, why not save some extra dough with a discounted movie gift card? And don’t forget all the exciting Cars 2 paraphernalia – Plastic Jungle can help help you save money on that, too!

Here’s how:

Choose from three of our movie merchants and save up to 12%! Shop for nearly 200 gift cards from Cinema DeLux, Regal Cinema and Landmark Theatres. Amounts range from $25 to $240 – treat yourself or the whole neighborhood!

You can also buy movie tickets in advance with a Fandango gift card and save 11%!

After getting revved up from seeing the Cars 2 movie, avoid financial potholes and detours by using a discounted gift card from Plastic Jungle. Since Cars 2 was produced by Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios, you can find a terrific selection of Cars 2 merchandise at the Disney Store. Plastic Jungle currently has Disney Store gift cards for 10% off!

Or shop for Cars 2 products at Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond and Barnes & Noble.

When your tot has run out of gas, let him refuel his zzzzz’s with these cute pajamas from Target. Buy a Plastic Jungle Target gift card, and save 10%!

Not only can you BUY discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle, don’t forget – you can also SELL your gift cards as well. Exchange your unused gift cards and earn up to 92% on an Amazon.com Gift Card to buy Cars 2 merchandise. They literally have thousands of products to choose from, including these two top-sellers:

And in addition to Cars 2, there are lots of other fun kid movies coming soon!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - June 29th

The Zookeeper - July 8

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2 – July 15

Winnie the Pooh - July 15

The Smurfs - July 29th

Captain America - July 22

So whether it’s racing alongside Lightning McQueen, helping the Transformers save the earth or waving your wand at He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Summer 2011 is bound to be full of adventure and entertainment at the cinema. And with Plastic Jungle, you can save $!

Go grab your big box of popcorn and enjoy the movie fantasy and savings reality.