February saw the Superbowl, the Oscars, Valentine’s Day, and Presidents’ Day all packed into a few short weeks. Plus, a few frozen moments across the country kept shoppers inside and online, no doubt.

Many of the usual favorite gift cards showed up in February’s Top Ten, plus a very conspicuous hanger-on at #11, giving hope to all girlfriends, wives, and mothers out there for something a little more than a card.

I’m thinking the bridal business might be busy this year, because TIFFANY & CO came in at #11 on the sales chart. (Right now, there are no discounted Tiffany & Co gift cards for sale on Plastic Jungle. You can set a Tiffany & Co alert to be notified via email when gift cards become available.)

Where did lingerie retailer VICTORIA’S SECRET land during the month for love? Still in the top 50, at #28, but well behind #9, CABELA’S.

10 JCPENNEY

Purchase discount JCPenney Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 14% Off.

9 CABELA’S

Purchase discount Cabela’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently up to 12% off.

8 BARNES & NOBLE

Purchase discount Barnes & Noble Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 9% Off.

7 KOHL’S

Purchase discount Kohl’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 14% Off.

6 MACY’S

Purchase discount Macy’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle — when they come into stock. Set an Alert Now.

5 LOWE’S

Purchase discount Lowe’s Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 7% Off.

4 WALMART

Purchase discount Walmart Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 3% Off.

3 BEST BUY

Purchase discount Best Buy Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 6% Off.

2 TARGET

Purchase discount Target Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 3% Off.

1 HOME DEPOT

Purchase discount Home Depot Gift Cards on Plastic Jungle, currently at up to 7% Off.

Ready to ditch your unused gift card and trade up to one of the favorites? You can safely and securely SELL your gift card on Plastic Jungle, with many different payout options.

What’s your favorite gift card of the moment? Something to get ready for spring — sporting goods or travel? Let us know in the comments below.

No, I’m not talking about using gift cards to pry open the bathroom door your daughter locked from the inside. (In fact, I wouldn’t recommend that at all! Turns out they snap into pieces.)

Let’s say you’ve got a gift card in your hand that you know has a balance on it, but there’s no way you’ll be able to take advantage of it: it’s for a steakhouse and you’ve been vegan for ages; it’s to a store you’ve vowed to stay away from because you consistently overspend there; it’s a gas card, and you’ve just decided to reduce your carbon footprint by moving to the city and only take public transportation.

Whatever. Just bypass the procrastination and realize that you can easily, quickly, and securely get something for that gift card on Plastic Jungle, and I’ll tell you how.

Sell Gift Cards for Cash, Funds in your PayPal Account, or an Amazon.com Gift Card

1) Did someone mention CASH?
That’s right. You can sell gift cards with as little as $10 remaining on them (it doesn’t even have to be an even number, it can be what’s left over after you’ve made a purchase) for CASH. Plastic Jungle honors gift cards from over 400 stores, from Walmart to Tiffany to PETCO to Bass Pro Shops. Once your gift card is verified (by mail or online), Plastic Jungle issues your check or deposits money into your PayPal account, whatever you choose. (Then, don’t forget that you can purchase discounted gift cards to get a deal at another one of those 400+ stores!)

2) Exchange gift cards for Amazon.com Gift Cards.
And what doesn’t Amazon.com sell? From ebooks to grills to groceries, Amazon.com is among the best places to have a store credit. Plus, in this gift card exchange, you’ll receive more than what you’d get in a cash payout – 5% more!

3) Trade in gift cards for Facebook Credits.
We know how fun and addictive those games get. From Farmville and MafiaWars to Happy Aquarium and Zuma Blitz, you can trade your gift card for Facebook Credits using the Plastic Jungle Gift Card Exchange App on Facebook. Just be logged into Facebook and search Plastic Jungle. You’ll see our fan page (Like us!) and the Application page.  When you’re on the App page, you’ll need to allow pop-ups. Then you’re good to start trading.

4) Convert gift cards to GamePoints.
At GamePoints you’re able to exchange gift cards for a virtual currency you can use on hundreds of social games. Log in at GamePoints.com by creating a free account, or using your Facebook account.

5) DONATE gift cards to your favorite charity!
You’ll find that Gift Cards for Good through Plastic Jungle is a very safe, convenient and efficient way to get the balance left on your gift card to your favorite charity or nonprofit. Have your charity check in with Plastic Jungle (at PJ for Nonprofits) to make the process even easier.

So don’t let unused gift cards waste away in your sock drawer when you have all these great options… sell them to Plastic Jungle today!

Fox Business News’s Liz Claman wondered: What do you do when you get a gift card you don’t necessarily want?

On her segment “Off the Rack/Off the Hook” Liz took a look at the “Gift Card Fix” offered by Plastic Jungle in light of the endless getting and gifting this holiday season.

Liz quoted the statistic that about 13% of gift cards go unused, leaving people wondering what to do with the card in their wallet.

“If you’re holding on to a gift card you don’t want anymore, Bruce Bower has the ultimate solution.” That would be Bruce Bower, CEO of Plastic Jungle, who had plenty to say about gift card exchange, and finding the right owner for each gift card.

“You’ve created this place, the land for misfit gift cards, haven’t you.” Bruce agreed it was a fitting analogy, in that what Plastic Jungle does is get the right card into the hands of the person who wants it most, in an easy transaction, in a secure environment, with plenty of options.

Bruce went on to explain that Plastic Jungle also offers an Amazon.com Gift Card or Facebook credits in exchange for gift card redemption, or that Plastic Jungle could even make payment into a PayPal account.

“About $30 million in gift cards goes unused each year. Plastic Jungle aims to make gift card exchange services that are quicker, more convenient, more consumer-friendly and provide more choice for a consumer who wants to exchange their card,” said Bruce.

The holidays are now upon us. It is kind of like, once Halloween has passed, some unofficial official announces that we have begun the holiday season. If you have started to worry about how you are going to afford to shop for the holidays and buy Christmas gifts, put your worries aside! Below is a great lists of sites that make it their business to bring you super savings. You won’t believe some of the discounts and deals you will find.

Enjoy saving tons of money using these sites for your holiday shopping, and keep in mind, you can sell gift cards for cash and credit to handle your holiday shopping!

TIP***Follow money-saving and free stuff pages on Facebook, and you will start seeing ads on the right-hand side of your FB page for sites that offer free stuff, contests and savings just for becoming a fan. Be sure to stay on the lookout for these.

For the Mommas — Don’t let the name of this blog mislead you. For the Mommas is not only for the mommas, it’s for everybody.  And they find the best deals online, free stuff, hot deals, store deals, and whatever else they can find that will save you money.

Addicted to Savings — This is another great blog whose name truly fits its mission. You will find coupons, free stuff, and great deals from across the web for  your holiday shopping needs.

Modnique.com — This site offers private sales to members for up to 85% savings on name brand items, like jewelry, clothing, shoes, and more. The beauty of it is that you get a $5 credit when you sign up, get $10 by using the code STAR when you check out, get $15 when a friend signs up under you, $10 when a friend of their signs up under them, $5 when a friend of a friend signs up. You could buy a lot of goodies for a little bit of nothing if you have friends to sign up under you, and their friends, and friends of their friends, etc!

Bizrate–This site will bring you awesome savings! Bizrate searches the web for the very best price on the item you are searching for. You should always check out this site first before you purchase something online. It is easy to use and honestly does find you the best deal.

RueLala — If you are all about finding name brand stuff when you are gift shopping then this is the site for you. Ruelala brings you great savings from major name brands before they are announced to others. Also, you get a $10 credit for signing up and $10 every time a friend signs up under you. The sales will be delivered straight to your email inbox before they begin.

Graveyard Mall — If you want to find rock-bottom savings on all kinds of gift items Graveyard Mall is the place for you. They have liquidation sales, closeout sales, daily deals and lightning deals with savings you won’t believe.

If you know of other sites that offer amazing deals and discounts to help save money on holiday shopping, be sure to leave a comment and let our readers know about it!

If you haven’t seen it already, check out Mint.com’s great infographic exploring the gift card industry (The Gift Card Minefield: How to Get Your Money’s Worth).

As you’ll see below, the numbers are astounding: The gift card industry totals more than $87 billion a year, but we at Plastic Jungle estimate that $30 billion of those gift cards go unredeemed. With such a valuable asset, it’s a shame not everyone is getting their money’s worth.

The good news is that there’s an easy solution. With the use of Plastic Jungle, you can sell gift cards you aren’t planning to use. So before you forget about those gift cards lying around your house, and instead of navigating their complex rules and fees, check out Plastic Jungle and start thinking of gift cards as cash!

Budget Planner Software – Mint.com