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!

Gift Cards You Loved in August – Guess Who’s #1?

After three consecutive months at spot #4, Target took first place finish in revenue as Plastic Jungle’s best-selling discounted gift card in August 2011.

Before we get to the usual suspects on the list, let’s talk about some honorary mentions.

Pottery Barn had a strong showing at #11 and was THIS CLOSE to making the Top Ten. And if the list were based on quantity instead of revenue, BP & Arco and Shell would have made the cut. (Everyone needs gas, right!?)

Get a Pottery Barn discounted gift card today at 10% off. As of press time, less than 20 cards are available, so stock up now while supplies last.

Gift cards to our gas merchants get snatched up as quickly as the changing fuel prices. While we don’t have any BP & Arco or Shell cards currently in stock, you can always sign up for email notifications and we’ll let you know when more become available.

Here’s the complete list of the top sellers in August 2011:

#1 Target – 3% off!

#2 Home Depot – 7% off!

#3 Lowe’s – 7% off!

#4 Walmart – 2% off!

#5 Best  Buy – 5% off!

#6 Kohl’s – 16% off!

#7 Macy’s – 7% off!

#8 JCPenney – 14% off!

#9 Abercrombie  & Fitch – no cards currently available, but click here to get notified when we more come in stock.

#10 Sears – 8% off!

With the holiday season approaching, it will be interesting to see who stays on the list and who makes their debut. Any predictions for September?

Whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned golf pro, get out on the greens and celebrate National Golf Month!

In honor of National Golf Month every August, many golf stores, courses and companies offer terrific sales. Stack them with Plastic Jungle discounted gift cards and improve your pocketbook handicap!

But first - check your Golf I.Q. with these fun golf facts. Are you on the Leaderboard?

• 964 yards: the longest hole in the world at the 7^th hole at Satsuki Golf Course in Sano, Japan
• 28: the most Holes-in-One in a year by Scott Palmer in 1983
• 67 million: the chances of making two Holes-in-One in a round of golf
• 1900: the year that golf became an Olympic Sport at the Paris Summer Olympics
• 14: the maximum number of clubs allowed to be carried in a PGA Player’s bag
• $500: cost of one round at the most expensive golf course in the world at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, NV

Now on to the deals! Swing away with these nifty golf accessories and equipment specials!

Golf Gators

Flip flops on the golf course? You bet! Walk the course in Golf Gators – innovative and functional new footwear. They feature removable genuine Champ Stinger soft spikes and a secret hiding spot for tees. The contoured foot bed has massaging bumps and the toe bumper helps protects your piggies.

PGA Superstore

Buy select Callaway golf balls and get a FREE Android Smartphone. Plus, free shipping on all orders over $199. Apply coupon code FREESHIP199 during checkout.

Buy PGA Superstore discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle here.

Glove It

If you look good, you’ll play good, right? Hit that little white ball in style with these gloves by Glove It. They offer several different styles and patterns, but I like these Pink and Grey Argyle Full Finger Gloves.

Sports Authority

Sports Authority has new low prices on Callaway products now! You can save $100 on this Callaway Diablo Octane Driver. Originally $299.99, it’s now offered at just $199.99.

Get 13% off Sports Authority discounted gift cards at Plastic Jungle while supplies last!

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Save $200 on a Nike Slingshot Steel Iron Set! Originally $499.99, you can get hybrid 3 irons and a traditional 4-PW for just $299.99. Dick’s Sporting Goods also offers free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

Find Dick’s Sporting Goods discounted gifts cards at Plastic Jungle here.

Swarovski Ballmarkers

Mark your ball with a little bling! Check out these genuine Swarovski crystal ballmarkers from LadyGolf.com. Each one has a silver tone trim finish, enamel detail and comes with a black velveteen carry pouch. Think ahead for stocking stuffers!

Target

Have a budding Tiger Woods? Get the little ones excited about golf with this Fun Gripper Golf set from Target. Priced at $24.99, you can get free shipping when you spend $50 at Target.com.

Buy a discounted Target gift card from Plastic Jungle now for 3% off!

Take advantage of this beautiful golfing weather and celebrate National Golf Month in style and savings! And if you shank a shot or two on the course, don’t worry – there’s always the 19th tee!

Reference: National Golf Month Trivia sheet compiled by o.co, also known as Overstock.com

What were we buying in July? Plastic Jungle’s top 10 list is here!

While there weren’t any big retail holidays last month (does National Ice Cream Month count?!), the warm summer weather likely drove shoppers outside, strolling stores and buying items for fun summer activities.

Many of the usual favorite gift cards made their appearance on the top 10 list, including Lowe’s and Home Depot. July was a great time to work on landscaping and outdoor projects, so no doubt our Junglers took advantage of discounted gift cards to these home improvement giants.

It’s no surprise that Walmart and Target made the cut as well, since both super centers offer thousands of products at exceptionally low prices. And as one-stop shops, we can buy everything from camping supplies to pool toys to clothes for the whole family in just one place.

One merchant that made its debut on the list was Abercrombie & Fitch. Known for their casual clothing designed for the modern collegiate lifestyle, students ditched their school books for new cool summer duds.

Here’s the complete list:

#10 Sears – currently offered at 9% off!

#9 Abercrombie & Fitch - currently offered at 9% off!

#8 JC Penney - currently offered at 14% off!

#7 Kohl’s - currently offered at 16% off!

#6 Macy’s - none are available right now, but sign up for our Notification Alert and we’ll let you know when more pop up!

#5 Best Buy – currently offered at 5% off!

#4 Target - currently offered at 3% off!

#3 Walmart - none are available right now, but sign up for our Notification Alert and we’ll let you know when more pop up!

#2 Home Depot – currently offered at 7% off!

#1 Lowe’s – currently offered at 7% off!

Have any unused gift cards you’d like to sell to get one of these favorites instead? Plastic Jungle will buy your unused gift cards for up to 92% of their value!

With summer closing in and fall around the corner, what gift cards are you buying right now? Which of your favorites do you think will make the August list?

Going to college is an exciting time…

You leave the nest, meet lifetime friends, explore new surroundings and – if living in the dorms, you get to cram all your stuff into a tiny little room.

Here are some ideas to maximize space and be the cool kid on campus! And with Plastic Jungle’s help, you can fatten up your Starving College Student budget by using discounted gift cards!

STORE

Living in a dorm means making use of Every. Last. Inch. These modular bins from The Container Store can be stacked in endless combinations both vertically and horizontally.

LAUNDER

Need a place to stash your dirty clothes before the next trip to Mom’s washing machine? This spiral pink pop-up hamper from Target has a convenient collapsible design with see-through mesh.

DECORATE

Keep track of everything from your final exams to frat parties with this dry-erase calendar decal from PBTeen. The peel-and-stick decals are easy to use and your R.A. will be happy that the self-adhesive backing doesn’t ruin the dorm walls. Study and save – select pinboards and decals are available now at PBTeen for 25% off!

EAT

When the dorm cafeteria or the 1:00am drive-thru Taco Bell won’t do, look to your very own mini-fridge. Stock all your favorite foods and drinks into this Black & Decker NuCool Compact Fridge, available from Walmart for $65 (rolled back from $79). Not only is it lightweight and portable, it’s environmentally friendly with its enhanced coolant and compressor-free cooling technology.

CLEAN

Taking a shower down the hall? You’ll need something to lug all your stuff. Check out this mesh shower tote from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It has a spacious center compartment and several pockets with plenty of room to hold your soap, shampoo, razor, towel, hairbrush and more.

STUDY

Fluorescent dorm lighting isn’t fabulous, especially when trying to study. Try supplementing with these Lite-n-Up lights from Home Depot. They can be mounted anywhere and each light provides three bright LED bulbs. Batteries and mounting materials included.

FIX

You never know when a screwdriver might come in handy! I love this Pink Toolset from Lillian Vernon. It comes with everything a girl might need: hammer, 4 screwdrivers, pliers, utility knife, tape measure, scissors, nails, screws and picture hangers!

MEND

When you’re away at college, you can’t rely on mom to kiss your boo-boo. Be prepared with a First Aid Kit instead. This one from Sports Authority has all the supplies to treat cuts, scrapes, sprains, insect bites, headaches, muscle aches and allergic reactions.

STUDY SOME MORE

Study in comfort with this Lap Desk from Amazon.com. The reversible tray is perfect for writing and the raised edges
prevent your pencil from rolling off. And with the tray’s dimpled sides, your laptop won’t overheat.

Have fun decorating your new home-away-from-home!

Enjoy summer camping and S’mores with a twist using discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle

Nothing is more traditional than S’mores during a summer camping trip, but it’s fun to mix it up and try something new. Our family recently discovered “Pole Pies” and I just had to share this fantastic campfire recipe with our Junglers!

You will need:

• Wooden dowels
• Refrigerated biscuit dough
• Pie filling
• Whip Cream

Go to Home Depot and buy wooden dowels (the rods used to hang clothes on in your closet). They only sell the wooden dowels in 6-foot lengths, so you’ll need to cut them in half so that they’re 3 feet each. These are the “poles” for the Pole Pie. Buy discounted Home Depot cards from Plastic Jungle and save 7%!

Take one raw piece of biscuit dough, flatten it a bit, and then gently cover the top of the wooden dowel so that it looks like a dome. We use Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (the regular size, not the Grands), but any brand will do!

Cook over a campfire and rotate evenly until the dough is golden brown and easily comes off the pole. Unlike marshmallows, do NOT let these babies blacken or burn. Rather than cooking them directly over the flame, use the heat from the fire instead. Be patient – they take just a tad longer but are oh-so-worth it. They will be hot, so let them cool slightly before handling. Once you pop the cooked dough off the pole, it makes a miniature pie crust!

Now the fun part – filling your pie! We’ve used cherry, blackberry, blueberry and peach pie filling. All are delectable, but the cherry is my favorite. Chocolate or miniature peanut butter cups are also delicious. Top off your Pole Pie with whip cream and voila! You have a scrumptious little treat!

Here’s a pic of my Pole Pie Chef daughter and her friends on our recent camping trip. She ate four of ‘em and would have probably guzzled up more if I would have let her!

Need some other supplies for your trip in the wilderness? Buy discounted gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, Sports Authority, Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Scheel’s.

I’m always on the look-out for new campfire recipes…do you have any good ones to share?

Everyone loves to save moolah, 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? I chatted with a few Plastic Jungle employees from different departments (Marketing, Product Management and Customer Support) who shared their personal savings stories and red hot deals.

Name and Department: Irene, Customer Support

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 5 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased a $300 Target gift card at a 3% discount because I moved home after college and sold all my old furniture. I always relied on Target for their wide variety of bedroom accessories.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Target did not have discounts on the items I was purchasing, but the Plastic Jungle discount is better than no discount!

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I can easily spend more than I really should every time I step foot into Target, but Plastic Jungle’s discounted gift cards justify my shopping habits with their discounted savings.

Target – 3% off

Name and Department: Kathryn, Marketing

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 4 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased a $250 Pottery Barn gift card at a 10% discount because I wanted to replace the sofa cushions on my 9-year-old Pottery Barn couch.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Pottery Barn seldom offers any coupons (mostly just seasonal promotions) which is why I was thrilled to save the 10% off at Plastic Jungle.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? The replacement sofa cushions were $200 vs. spending over $1000 on a brand new sofa. By saving 10% I was able to cover the cost of shipping and some of the tax!

Pottery Barn Kids – 10% off

PB Teen – 8% off!

Pottery Barn – 10% off!

Name and Department: Raina, Marketing

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 11 months

What was the last card you sold to Plastic Jungle and which payment option did you select? I cashed in Pier 1 Import cards that I had been carrying around in my wallet for the last 5 years. I redeemed them for Amazon credit to avail of the extra 5% cash back that PJ offers with Amazon payouts.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I used the Amazon credit from redeeming my 5-year-old housewarming gifts to buy myself a new Canon DSLR which I used on my recent trip to Alaska. Thanks to Plastic Jungle, my $200 add-on lens was free!

Name and Department: Arturo, Product Management

How long have you been working at Plastic Jungle? 1 year, 3 months

What was your most recent Plastic Jungle gift card purchase and why did you buy that card? I purchased $9000 worth of Lowe’s gift cards at a 9% discount to do some remodeling on the house I recently purchased.

Did you stack up any extra in-store or online discounts? Yes, I used a Lowe’s 10% discount that I received after I registered my ‘change of address’ online with the Postal Service.

What’s your favorite PJ personal savings story? I was extremely thrilled to save almost 20% off some of the remodeling costs of my new house. Here’s how I did it:  Plastic Jungle had Lowe’s cards at a 9% discount and with the additional 10% from the Lowe’s discount coupon, I ended up saving close to $2000 with this transaction alone. (Note: I had to negotiate that the 10% coupon applied to the  entire purchase. It was for up to $5000 only, but given the large purchase, they agreed.)

Lowe’s – 7% off

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

What gift cards topped your shopping list in June? Surprisingly, almost the exact same ones, in the same order as last month – but with a little twist.

Home improvement giants continued to top the list, with Home Depot and Lowe’s ranked at #1 and #2. The secret is out – builders, subcontractors and professional handymen can increase their margins by buying discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s cards are currently offered at 7% off, immediately shaving costs and adding profit to the bottom line.

And it’s not just skilled experts that enjoyed savings. With June graduations and the Father’s Day holiday, Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards made terrific gifts for the home improvement hobbyist.

Walmart and Target again ranked #3 and #4 respectively. As one-stop shopping centers, Junglers saved on nearly everything under the sun, including house wares, toys, clothing, electronics, and even groceries. With 3% discounted gift cards stacked on top of Walmart and Target’s already uber-competitive low prices, these cards get swiped up fast, so sign up for a notification alert to get first access.

Best Buy again ranked #5. A great source for computers, video games, televisions, digital cameras, mp3 players, mobile phones & appliances, Best Buy gift cards likely made for some great Father’s Day and Graduation gifts as well.

The next three spots were filled by clothing department stores: Macys (#6), Kohl’s (#7) and JC Penney (#8). Perhaps our Junglers were freshening up their summer wardrobe with new shorts, tanks, sundresses, swimsuits and sandals. All three merchants have darling summer clothing collections on sale now, as they make room for their fall and back-to-school collections.

The Apple Store held spot #9. Our family celebrated the end of school and good report cards with a new iPhone for my daughter, a new iTouch for my son and a new Nano for mama (I deserved a little treat for helping with all the homework and packing lunches all year long, right?!) Apple Store gift cards are quite popular, so be sure to plan ahead and sign up for an email alert when they become available.

Rounding out the Top 10 was Barnes & Noble. (Cabela’s filled this spot in May.) A popular go-to, slam-dunk teacher’s gift is always a Barnes & Noble gift card. Was your child’s teacher the lucky recipient of one of these end-of-the-school-year gifts?

Special Honorary Mention goes out to iTunes, who ranked #6 in quantity (vs. revenue), with a whopping 6,125 cards sold in June. That’s a lot of TV, video, movie, app and music downloads!

These Top 10 gift cards are just the tip of the iceberg (or should we say tip of the palm tree?) Plastic Jungle has  nearly 400 brands, with discounted gift cards offered up to 35% off. Click here to see what hot cards we’ve got up for sale now!

Forget personalized coffee mugs, engraved plaques and fruit-of-the-month incentives. Other than cold hard cash, gift cards consistently rank as a popular Employee Recognition gift.

With increasingly diverse workforces, it’s nearly impossible to please everyone. Some employees might appreciate that nice bottle of cabernet, whereas others might be coveting that motivational poster or desk plant to brighten up their office. And there’s always the logo merchandise – while companies have the right intention, employees might want to ditch their “work hat” after hours and ditch their company logo hat as well.

So what employee gift can guarantee that one size fits all? Gift Cards!

The options are endless: restaurants, spa services, electronics, home improvement, clothing, jewelry, travel and more – there’s something for everyone. Enlightened managers know what makes their employees tick, so they can tailor gift cards for each of their staff members. Employees are then empowered to purchase what they want, when they want.

As an employer, buying discounted gift cards from Plastic Jungle for your employees is easy. You save money (up to 35%), get FREE shipping and receive your gift cards in just 4 to 6 days.

Here are some of Plastic Jungle’s most popular gift cards:

Target – 3% off

Bath & Body Works – 12% off

Kohl’s – 15% off

Home Depot – 6% off

As an employee, what if your employer was a bit off base and got you a gift card you don’t want or need? Sell it back to Plastic Jungle! We’ll buy your gift card for up to 92% of its value in exchange for an Amazon.com gift card, Cashier’s Check or PayPal credit.

Simple yet relevant, gift cards are a great choice for employers and employees alike. And they’ll probably garner more oohs and aahs than a fruit-of-the-month gift basket.

Did you know that in 2010, $48.35 billion was spent on our pets in the U.S. That’s a lot of kibbles and bits!

Let Plastic Jungle throw you a bone. When you buy our discounted gift cards AND combine them with store coupons, we are talking serious savings. That’s especially true right now with PetSmart and PetCo, where you can save up to 24% off. Woof Woof!

Here’s how:
Go fetch and retrieve a PetSmart gift card from Plastic Jungle for 9% off, then turn around and use that same gift card at PetSmart.com and save an additional 15% off using promo code “PET6PERKS11” ($75 minimum purchase). At 24% off, even your dog will do tricks!

Similar savings can be found at PetCo. Buy a Plastic Jungle PetCo gift card at 9% off, and then use promo code “MEVIO” at PetCo.com and save another 10%. Easy Peasy, Fancy Feasty!

You can also find everyday low prices on pet supplies with discounted Plastic Jungle gift cards to Lowe’s, Target, and Wal-Mart.

With all the money you’ll save, you can treat your cats, dogs, birds, iguanas and elephants to a special treat.

Bow-chicka-Wow.