Work is dragging. You’ve got an event coming up. The kids are outgrowing everything from toys to socks. NCAA March Madness is your inspiration to get a new TV. All the spring magazines have you itching to update your wardrobe. And please, anything to not see Charlie Sheen on a headline!

Time to find an exciting sale. Cheap shoes, Michigan sweatshirts, HDTVs, and sale clothes are just a click away. And remember, you can add to your savings by purchasing a discounted gift card to pay for your hot sale finds.

Our first stop would be Sale.com, whose home page is a shopping addict’s crack, compiling some of the best apparel discounts on the web. Enter the retailer you’d love to see a sale from, ie Abercrombie, and voila, the site’s sale page pops in, along with a list of promotions and offers. Sign up for Sale.com alerts to get first crack at fresh promotions, coupons, deals, and sale merchandise.

Sales on Now around the Web:

Nordstrom:

Get Women’s Coats on sale for up to 40% off.

Shop Nordstrom’s Shoe Clearance – hurry, this is a hot one and the best brands and styles sell out fast.

Shop Nordstrom’s Designer Collection Sale for quality-made on-trend brands and looks.

Aeropostale:

Save big with Aeropostale’s Spring Break Sale featuring $9 Camis and Graphic T-shirts for girls and guys.

Best Buy:

Act now to save 5%-15% on a wide selection of HDTVs on brands including RCA, Philips, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic.

JCPenney:

Time to freshen up the house with JCP’s Spring Home Sale, where you’ll save 30-60% off housewares, linens, and more.

Shop deep discounts on JCP’s Clearance page, with final markdowns at up to 80% off retail.

Zappos:

This online retailer always has free shipping & returns – but have you found Zappo’s Sale page? Shop shoes from 100’s of brands, as well as accessories and clothes on sale. Even hard-to-find men’s shoes are on sale here. Yippee!

PetSmart:

Get deals on thousands of items, from Kong to Advantix & Advantage flea & tick products online and in stores at PetSmart’s Everything Spring Sale.

Borders:

It’s a shame Borders is closing so many stores, but their loss is your gain. Find clearance merchandise in the stores that are closing; here’s a list of closing Borders stores. As well, get to Borders Hot Deals / Weekly Deals page to score discounts on remainders, music under $10, and even bestsellers and upcoming new releases.

Right now, get up to 15% off a Borders Gift Card on Plastic Jungle >>>

Sports Authority:

The NCAA Final Four is around the corner and it’s time to gear up! Save on NCAA gear for the entire family at the SportsAuthority.com Outlet – Fan Gear page, and most of it will ship for only 99 cents!

If you’ve got a “slow-day shopping distraction” ritual, please share it in the comments of this page. Remember, if you’ve got time on your hands, maybe you could create a little cash flow by trading in your unused gift cards. Thank me later! And be prepared, the weekend is almost here.

But first, you might grab yourself a deal!

The Winter Sale is on at “Nordie’s” (as they say) right now, offering deep discounts on the store’s general merchandise. There’s also a sale in Nordstrom’s Designer Collections, and Sweaters have taken a mark down. From Brass Plum to Tory Burch, it’s all for the taking. Lawd, it’s a good day to be shopping.

Through its excellence in customer service and talent at stocking its department stores with fashions finely suited to local tastes, Oprah’s go-to department store Nordstrom has made a name for itself among high-quality retailers. Shoes were once the highlight at the store; now designer collections and unique offerings bring customers back again and again at about 200 stores nationwide. Nordstrom Rack is the retailer’s discount outlet, offering clearance savings on the same chic brands and labels.

Nordstrom Deals

• Check for events and store locations (including Nordstrom Rack locations) at Nordstrom’s Store Locator.
• Be at the cutting edge of hot trends: get pre-season discounts at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sales or Half-Yearly sales events: check the Nordstrom FAQ page for this year’s sale dates.
• Register an online account to get email updates on Nordstrom sales and promotions in the departments you select.
• Shop the same great labels at Nordstrom Rack online!

Discounted Nordstrom Gift Cards and Virtual Gift Cards are Another Great Way to Save

Make sure to set an email notification and get an alert when new, discounted Nordstrom Gift Cards become available for purchase on Plastic Jungle. Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards are valid in stores, via phone orders, and online, and when purchased or traded at Plastic Jungle, you’ll never pay shipping fees. See “Benefits of Nordstrom Gift Cards”, below, for more on the store’s terms & conditions on the cards.

Check the Balance on Your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Card? Check here:

STORES: Nordstrom Gift Cards and Virtual Gift Cards are valid at Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack Stores. Check the Nordstrom Store Locator online for one near you.
ONLINE: Use the “Check Gift Card Balance” tool at Nordstrom online
PHONE: 1-877-283-4045, or try Nordstrom Customer Service at 1-888-282-6060. When you call, be sure to have your Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card on Plastic Jungle.

Sell or Exchange Your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card on Plastic Jungle

Once you’ve acquired your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card balance, you can sell or exchange your Nordstrom Gift Card to Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Nordstrom Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card, Facebook credits (on Facebook.com), and even fund your PayPal account.

To know how much your Nordstrom Gift Card or Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, on the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards” at the top of the page. Look up “Nordstrom”, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

The Benefits of Nordstrom Gift Cards

Check the Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards pages for details on possible terms & conditions on the gift cards.

• Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards may be redeemed at Nordstrom department stores and Nordstrom Rack stores, via phone order (1-888-282-6060), and online at Nordstrom.com as well.
• Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards have no expiration date and no transaction fees. Plastic Jungle charges no shipping fees.
• You may add value to Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Virtual Gift Cards in stores at any time.