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.

Looking for the perfect dress for an upcoming wedding, dance, social event, or sorority formal? 

Bloomingdales physical locations and Bloomingdales online store offers the best designer clothes, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and accessories to create your fabulous look.  Get the designer fashions you want for 6% less with discount Bloomingdales gift cards from Plastic Jungle.

Stand out in Bloomingdales BCBGMAXAZRIA reeve cap sleeve sequin dress (left).  Love your look in this adorable Bloomingdales black Rachel Zoe Dionne diamond dress (center).  Turn heads in this unique DIANE von FURSTENBERG urara novelty lace dress (right).

Wedding attire is a one-stop shopping spree with The Wedding Shop at Bloomingdales.  Find stunning wedding dresses for the bride, bridesmaid dresses, and shoes for the bridal party plus the perfect look for him and her for the engagement party and rehearsal dinner.

For a destination wedding, check out Bloomingdales 10 Crosby Derek Lam gown (left).  If exchanging vows in the winter is the plan, consider the Nicole Miller sweetheart mermaid gown (center).  Add a special touch of silk and embelishment to your wedding day with the Theia strapeless organza ball gown (right).

If shopping on Bloomingdales online, get free shipping on any order of $150 and Bloomingdales conveniently offers free returns on select dresses so you can exchange the size and the dress if your order does not fit as you imagined.

Never pay full price to look beautiful on your most special occasions with Bloomingdales discount gift cards from Plastic Jungle.

Where are you buying shoes for the new school year?

Step into shoes for the whole family at JCPenney.  Over 1,400 pairs of shoes are currently priced at the lowest this season. Couple this $10 off $50 coupon with Plastic Jungle discounted gift cards for JCPenney at 14% off and you’re sure to find a deal you can feel good in.

Shop at home with Kohl’s and get free shipping on your purchase of $75 or more (use code: SHOPNSHIP). Buy discounted Kohl’s gift cards from Plastic Jungle to get an additional 15% in savings.  Be sure to visit RetailMeNot for the most current Kohl’s coupon codes.

If you’ve got teens and tweens, Buckle has a broad selection of sole mates which you can get at 11% off when you link up with Plastic Jungle discounted gift cards. For those in middle school and high school who prefer a little more funk in their shoe style, check out the 791 ways Urban Outfitters can decorate feet and bring style with trendy prices by matching a pair with 10% off thanks to discounted Urban Outfitters gift cards found at Plastic Jungle.

And don’t forget that they’ll need sneakers for gym class and rain boots to stomp in the puddles!

Buying a top of the line vacuum does not have to cost full price.

My family was recently on a hunt to get a high quality vacuum for less than the advertised price.  We researched online and decided the Dyson DC33 Multi-Floors Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner was the right fit for our home and lifestyle.  We liked that it converts into various hand held tools by pressing a few buttons, the canister can be cleaned with a visit to the trash can instead of replacing bags, it’s lightweight, and can be used on both carpet and hardwood floors.

On average, the vacuum sells for around $320.  To cut costs, we compared which store would give us the best savings.  Knowing that Plastic Jungle offers Bed Bath & Beyond discounted gift cards for 10% less than face value as well as discounted Home Depot gift cards for 6% less than face value, Bed Bath & Beyond seemed like the obvious choice.

However, our final step was to stack Plastic Jungle’s discounted gift cards with a store coupon to maximize savings.  I immediately grabbed a 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond coupon and decided to read the fine print.  The text on the coupon explained that it was not valid for the purchase of Dyson vacuums.  As Plan B, I checked the limitations of a Home Depot 10% off coupon and found it can be used on a Dyson vacuum.

We quickly ordered enough discounted Home Depot gift cards from Plastic Jungle to cover the purchase and a 10% off Home Depot coupon from from eBay.  About one week later, everything arrived in the mail and we made a trip to Home Depot to buy a $320 Dyson vacuum for under $270 (15% off)!

For those who are visual learners, here’s the deal comparison in visual form.

What ways have you saved with Plastic Jungle?

Today’s retail climate gives us plenty of ways to spend money, but many of us consider saving to be a chore. It’s a shame, because with the smallest amount of effort, saving up to 35% can be had when you purchase discounted gift cards on Plastic Jungle.

If you’re a hard-core, never-pay-retail shopper, you’ll start with the discounted gift card from Plastic Jungle, then you’ll double- or even triple-dip into easily found coupons and promo codes.

The key to turning that small-ish percentage off into significant outlet-clearance variety prices is combining the gift card (means of payment) with existing sales and promotions (entered at checkout).

We’ve got a story about a Jungler who saved more than $500 on a personal big home improvement project – window coverings (not cheap!) — already posted on the Plastic Jungle blog. The post details how Marcy, a Jungle fan, purchased discounted Home Depot gift cards, added that to a rebate and in-store sale, and came up with huge savings.

Do It Now – Two Examples of Double-Dip Savings

Save on Omaha Steaks

1)      Purchase a discounted Omaha Steaks eCODE (electronic gift card)  on Plastic Jungle >>>

2)      Go to www.Savings.com or www.RetailMeNot.com (or Google “Omaha Steaks Deals” to find other coupon sites). Click through the coupon link of your choice. This sets up the promo code which will be applied at checkout. Right now, looks like the best deal is to choose an Overstock Bargain, which could give you up to 60% off (on STEAK!).

3)      At checkout, use your already discounted Omaha Steaks eCODE (at time of writing worth up to a 17% discount).

4)      Start counting the money you’ve saved by DOUBLE-DIPPING: Steak at up to 77% off.

Save at JC Penney or JCP.com

1)      Purchase a discounted JC Penney Gift Card or JC Penney eCODE on Plastic Jungle >>>

2)      Go to www.Savings.com where you’ll find all kinds of coupon codes. Find one that suits your needs. Let’s say today it’s “10% off, sitewide” (code=SAVE10), or for in-store value, go to http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/2005/11/jc-penney-coupons.html (I just Googled “printable JCPenney coupons”), where you’ll find a printable coupon for $10 discount on $50, $15 discount on $75 and $20 discount on purchases of $100 or more.

3)      Check out the JCP.com outlet and clearance racks for already discounted merchandise. (ie: Landing page patio sale has items up to 60% off.) This could be your triple-dip!

4)      At checkout, use your coupon or promo code (online) and pay with your discounted JC Penney Gift Card or, online, your discounted JC Penney eCODE (at time of writing worth up to 14% off). Also look for free shipping coupons or links.

5)      Your savings could be up to 33-80% of regular retail prices, depending on the deal you choose.

Plastic Jungle gives you bottom-line savings, and with minimum effort, you can compound those savings by double-dipping with a quick “–deals” or “–coupons” search in your favorite search engine.

Happy (Discount) Shopping from all of us deal mavens at Plastic Jungle!

The Cheesecake Factory’s full restaurant menu aims to please, so with a gift card you or your recipient can enjoy dining at over 149 Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the country (including Honolulu, Hawaii! See The Cheescake Factory’s Restaurant Locator), or order cheesecakes and more via phone (1-800-330-CAKE (2253)), or use the gift card to order cheesecakes online at CheesecakeFactory.com.

If yours is a “Complimentary Gift Card”, it has certain restrictions: check The Cheesecake Factory FAQ page for details and terms on their gift cards.

Check the Balance on a Cheesecake Factory Gift Card or Cheesecake Factory eGift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Cheesecake Factory Gift Card or Cheesecake Factory eGift Card? You can go to any Cheesecake Factory restaurant, check The Cheesecake Factory’s online Gift Card balance checker, or call 1-800-330-CAKE (2253). When you call, be sure to have your Cheesecake Factory Gift Card number and PIN in front of you. Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your Cheesecake Factory Gift Card or eGift Card securely on Plastic Jungle.

The Cheesecake Factory Gift Cards and eGift Cards (eCODEs) may be redeemed at Cheesecake Factory restaurants, via phone orders and online as well.

The Cheesecake Factory Gift Cards and The Cheesecake Factory eGift Cards have no expiration date and no transaction fees. Plastic Jungle does not charge shipping fees.

Check The Cheesecake Factory FAQ page for details and possible restrictions on gift cards.

Trade or Sell Your Gift Card

Once you know your balance, you can safely sell or trade your gift card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can exchange any unused gift card for cash, or trade it for an Amazon.com Gift Card, or use it to donate the funds to charity (Gift Cards for Good—look for the green ribbon at checkout), or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your 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 the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. 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 Williams Sonoma, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

If you’ve been to Freeport, Maine, you know. While late adds Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s are superstores for the sporting life, 99-year-old institution L.L. Bean is the granddaddy of all superstores and beyond compare. If you like to hike, swim, fish, go to school, hit the slopes, sled the hills, fish the streams, canoe the Boundary, pack the pack, dig the shore, head to the cabin, sail the waves, camp the national parks… well, L.L. Bean should already be a part of your life.

Back in 1912, Mr. Bean’s mail-order catalog became well-known when he started marketing hunting wares to out-of-staters who came in for the season. His catalog’s highlight was the “Bean Boot”, or Maine Hunting Shoe, and the boot remains a staple of the company’s outdoor image and remains trendy today.

The original retail store, located at L.L. Bean’s HQ in Freeport, was known as the “outlet” — which now carries a different connotation for most shoppers — and now is a bit of a Mecca for all kinds of shoppers from all over the world. The store brought so many people to town that the area became home to 100s of retail outlets; you can find information and coupons for the latest slew of stores at FreeportUSA.com, the official site of the merchants’ association.

Today, the L.L. Bean flagship store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With its “campus” layout, it might be worth a devoting a day of shopping, as you visit different departments in separate buildings. As always, you can count on their quality customer service, free returns, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, and now, free shipping on any order, no matter the amount you spend.

For trivia buffs, I propose a bonus question: What is the full name of L.L. Bean, the store’s founder? See the * below for your answer!

With L.L. Bean, you can send or purchase Gift Cards two ways: via mail (5-8 working days for delivery) or via email (2-4 hours for delivery). Check the L.L. Bean Gift Card page for the latest terms and conditions on the cards.

Get discounted L.L. Bean Gift Cards or L.L. Bean eCODEs on Plastic Jungle (up to 11% off at time of writing)  >>>

Check the Balance on Your L.L. Bean Gift Card or L.L. Bean Email Gift Card

Online: Go to L.L. Bean’s Gift Card Check Balance page. If you have an involved question, you could email L.L. Bean Customer Service.

Phone: Call L.L. Bean Customer Service: 800-­441-5713 or click the “Call Me” button on any of L.L. Bean’s website pages.

Want to Find an L.L. Bean Store? Check out the L.L. Bean Retail Store and Outlet Locator online.

Want a Current L.L. Bean Catalog? There are multiple catalogs to choose from: Men’s, Women’s, Kids’, L.L. Bean Hunting, L.L. Bean Fishing, L.L. Bean Gear & Clothing, L.L. Bean Home and more — check the current L.L. Bean Catalog selection online.

Sell Your Gift Card

Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your gift card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can trade any unused gift card for cash, or trade it for an Amazon.com Gift Card, or use it to donate the funds to charity (Gift Cards for Good—look for the green ribbon at checkout), or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your 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 the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. 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.

*Trivia Answer: Leon Leonwood Bean

Plastic Jungle currently sells Target GiftCards and Target e-GiftCards (eCODEs) at up to 5% off.

Bring on the savings.

Five percent?! You think, “That’s hardly worth my time.” Well, when you compound a 5% discount with the hot deals Target throws out online, you’ll have great stuff delivered to your door. Clever shoppers might already have the hook-up with Target Mobile — a set of Apps and text alerts (across platforms) that keeps users informed as to the hottest Target deals and Target sales.

Currently, Target.com has free shipping on orders over $50 – which is offered without the use of any promo code, and applies to merchandise across departments.

Also on right now at Target.com: 15% off purchases of $125 or more on select furniture and select rugs through May 14, 2011. And don’t forget the furniture already on Target’s Clearance pages.

Target Clearance – Save up to 65% on select items. For example, check out this bargain table and chairs. It’s at 50% off… there is a small cost for shipping this oversize piece, but you’re not lugging it home, and the cost of the oversize shipping might be covered by your 5% discounted gift card. Target Clearance is huge, and covers all departments, including swimwear for the family, Health & Beauty, Bed & Bath, Kitchen… there are thousands of items in Target’s online Clearance pages.

Daily Deals – Now Target offers online merchandise that’s “priced to amaze”. See the official Daily Deal as well as fantastic bargains at what seems to be 20% off full retail or more. (Well, yes, I do need a new digital camera at $35–on sale today. Send it on over with free shipping.)

Consider checking out the Target.com Coupon Page: to your 5% savings on your Target Gift Card, take home another discount on your favorite name-brand products you purchase regularly.

Free Stuff at Target.com

Interested in winning a $500 Target Gift Card? It doesn’t take much if you shop at Target regularly: You can write a product review and you could win a $500 Target Gift Card. See Target Gift Card giveaway official rules for details.

And finally, Target is going the extra mile to get Target.com visitors free product samples. How fun is that?

What is it you regularly purchase at Target? If you’re a regular Target customer, it’s a no-brainer to purchase a discounted gift card that over time, could save you double-digit dollars.

Want to know what other discount eCODEs (discounted eGift Cards) are on offer at Plastic Jungle? You’ll find a complete list, along with purchasing instructions and current discounts offered, on the Plastic Jungle site. You can purchase an eCODE and use it immediately on your online purchases, and at some stores, even at the store itself.

If you’re looking for a gift that will cover just about any restaurant whim of the recipient, you might want to check into Darden Restaurants Gift Cards. Darden Restaurants Gift Cards can be redeemed at any Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, or any other Darden restaurant in the US.

So, you can use an Olive Garden Gift Card at any Olive Garden restaurant, or any of the above-mentioned restaurants. They are interchangeable.

With graduation coming up, restaurant gift cards make a great gift, or a great way to send out the group for a meal after the graduation ceremony as a treat on you. There are over 1,700 Darden restaurants across the US, and the Olive Garden has over 650 locations around America. Check the online Olive Garden restaurant locator to find one near you.

Looking for a discounted Darden Restaurant Gift Card?

Darden Restaurants-branded Gift Cards  >> |   Olive Garden Gift Cards  >> |   Red Lobster Gift Cards  >> |   LongHorn Steakhouse Gift Cards  >> |  Bahama Breeze Gift Cards  >> |   Seasons 52 Gift Cards  >>

Remember, if your desired Darden Restaurant Gift Card is not available, you can purchase one from another Darden Restaurant and use it interchangeably. Note that Canadian and US Olive Garden gift cards are not interchangeable. At present, the Olive Garden and Darden Restaurants do not offer eGift Cards. For the latest on terms and conditions on Darden Restaurant Gift Cards, see their Gift Card FAQ page, or call their Gift Card Customer Service number: 800-642-7336, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

Check the Balance on Your Olive Garden Gift Card or Olive Garden eGift Cards

Online: Check the balance on your Olive Garden Gift Card online.

Phone: Call 877-230-4120

In Person: Go to any Darden Restaurant (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52) and ask the host to help you. Find any Darden Restaurant.

Sell Your Gift Card

Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your gift card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can trade any unused gift card for cash, or an Amazon.com Gift Card, or use it to donate the funds to charity (Gift Cards for Good—look for the green ribbon at checkout), or even fund a PayPal account.

To know how much your 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 the store and enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired. 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.

Rain and snow are behind us (we hope) and it’s time to open up the house, get up to the cabin, and get going on home improvement projects.

What’s on sale at the home improvement stores? If you want to be the first to know about any home improvement promotion, get on the store’s email sale alerts list to receive notifications regularly. Lowe’s has an everyday low price guarantee. Go ahead and “Like” Home Depot on Facebook, and get privy to Friday sales from 50-70% off. Follow @SearsDeals on Twitter, and big-discount flash sales at Sears (think Kenmore appliances and paint and Craftsman tools) are at your fingertips.

On Plastic Jungle, you can set a discounted gift card email notification alert to be emailed as soon as any discount gift card becomes available at the discount you’re looking for.

Click through now to see the percentage off you’ll save on:

Discount Lowe’s Gift Cards |  Discount Home Depot Gift Cards |  Discount Ace Hardware Gift Cards |  Discount Bed, Bath & Beyond Gift Cards |  Discount Restoration Hardware Gift Cards |  Discount Pottery Barn Gift Cards |  Discount Target Gift Cards |  Discount Sears Gift Cards

Angling for Home Improvement Sales

Have you ever thought of Amazon.com for Appliances or Equipment? If not, the Amazon.com Home Improvement and Tools page, flush with thousands of searchable listings, will be an eye-opener. Dishwashers to pressure washers, kitchen fixtures to light fixtures, hardware, storage, even lawn mowers are called up at a great price in a flash. You could actually turn a gift card you’re not using — could even be a chain restaurant gift card — into an Amazon.com Gift Card by exchanging it on Plastic Jungle.

Think about “double-dipping” – that is, buying a gift card at a discount at Plastic Jungle, then purchasing at a sale price or using a rebate. (And maybe even add free shipping for a deal-lover’s trifecta!) You get the deal with the sale price, AND you’ve got an additional deal in your hand with the discounted gift card. For the deal-lover’s trifecta, add a free shipping coupon or promo code to keep costs down.

Do-It-Yourself, Whatever It Is!

Homeowners regularly attempt their own landscaping, painting, and decorating. But installing a toilet? Making your home more secure? Patching drywall? These and hundreds of other projects are detailed, some with video, on Lowe’s Video & Project Center, and at the Home Depot Home Improvement Clubs.

Another source for how-to do it is TV, of course. You can search the archives of HGTV, or the DIY network for ideas, tips, and video to get the job done.

What’s on your home improvement slate? A new entertainment center? Painting the house, inside and out? Creating an outdoor living space to enjoy your new landscape? Let us know in your comments!