Bye February! Goodbye blizzards. Goodbye hearts. Hello good green luck!

March is coming in like a lion alright, with the daily news blurting something unsettling just about every day, unfavorably affecting our consumer confidence. Still, products and services are more customer-oriented than ever, and I know many people, myself included, who are taking it in stride, looking forward to shopping trips, planning vacations, and enjoying life day by day, maybe with a bigger appreciation for each expenditure than before.

So in getting creative about saving up and making the most of what we’ve got, you have to take a look at selling or trading in those unused gift cards. Turning in your gift cards to Plastic Jungle is hassle-free, postage is paid, and you’ll have something to show for it in no time. You can sell more than one card at a time; you can even donate the proceeds to charity if you’d like. Check out the Seller Learning Center to get all your questions about trading in, or selling, your gift card with Plastic Jungle.

Plus, to get your attention, just about every brand, merchant, or product is sponsoring giveaways – and we like to list our favorites here. By and large, these are easy-to-enter sweepstakes and giveaways with killer prizes.

$10,000 Dream Wardrobe Giveaway — Luxe online fashion peddler Net-a-Porter, fashion gossip blog FabSugar, and retail aggregator ShopStyle are teaming up to give one lucky winner a $10,000 budget to spend on Net-a-Porter.com. Just register your information and decide what email updates you’d like to receive, if any. Sweepstakes ends April 5, 2011; get other details from the Dream Wardrobe giveaway contest rules.

$100,000 Ultimate Wedding Contest – Housewares and décor shop Crate and Barrel wants one lucky couple to walk away with the wedding of their dreams, maybe even beyond their dreams. If you’re getting married, just create a wedding registry at a Crate and Barrel store or CrateandBarrel.com. If you’ve already got a registry at Crate & Barrel, go ahead and enter the contest by logging into your registry, then, on your Crate & Barrel registry homepage, look for the Ultimate Wedding Display. Follow the links to enter the contest. Contest ends March 31, 2011; see the Ultimate Wedding Contest page for rules and additional instructions, which include telling your love story, uploading three photos, share details of your Ultimate Wedding, and describe your ultimate dream home.

Get a discounted Crate and Barrel Gift Card now >>

$2,000 Catherine Malandrino Shopping Spree – Chic department store Bloomingdale’s is sponsoring this hot giveaway of $2,000 worth of clothing from designer Catherine Malandrino. All entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on March 9, 2011; see contest rules for details.

Get a discounted Bloomingdale’s Gift Card now (supplies very limited)>>

Get a discounted Nordstrom Gift Card now >>>

Trip for Two to Vienna Giveaway – TV’s Travel Channel says “Start your next journey by winning it.” The winner and a guest will fly round-trip to Vienna, where they’ll stay for six nights with $750 in spending money, and much more. The more you know about Travel Channel, the better you’ll do. Take their daily multiple-choice quiz, and enter for your chance to win. Giveaway ends March 31, 2011. Check Official Rules for further terms and conditions.

Get discounted American Airlines Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted US Airways Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted Hyatt Gift Cards now >>>

Get discounted Best Western Gift Cards now >>>

Hey, let us know: Where will the new spring season take you?