Plastic Jungle Blog » West Elm Deals

Plastic Jungle Expands Discounts on BIG Purchases: Read One Customer’s Story

Michelle — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:46:31 +0000

Step by step, a Plastic Jungle fan shows you how to save $100s by combining discounted gift cards, coupons, and rebates.

It is fair to say that most households have wish lists. From house to house, these lists can be as diverse as the inhabitants. You could be pining for fresh electronics (new TV or gaming system), or home improvements or furniture, or maybe a special accessory, such as a pricey designer purse or a pair of shoes. Often, wish lists develop when you move into a new space, as our Plastic Jungle fan, Marcy B., relates.

In her letter, Marcy B. outlines how she went about saving big on renovating her window treatments in her new home. She explains that it wasn’t a matter of combing the Internet, or paging through Val-Pak coupons, but a matter of patience and a small amount of planning.

Thanks to marketing and promotions, all shoppers get the idea that we could save big, but jumping the hurdle to map out the steps can be a stumbling block.

Her letter explains her simple process, step-by-step:

Dear Plastic Jungle:
Thank you for helping me save more than $500 on a purchase I recently made at Home Depot!
My husband and I had planned to invest in blinds for our house this year, and were pleasantly surprised to have spent less than we budgeted on higher quality blinds than we planned on buying.
How we saved BIG…
(1)  Last year my husband and I started talking about the design and feel we desired for the blinds.
(2)  At Home Depot we discovered a modern style of blinds that we loved.  When we looked at the price, we noticed there was a special 20% off manufacturer sale.  At this point, the cost was not in our price range, until…
(3)  I called the store and spoke with a manager about stacking a coupon with the sale.  The manager said I could.  I wrote down his name and immediately…
(4)  I went on eBay and bought a 10% Lowe’s/Home Depot coupon for $1.50 (shipping + handling included).
(5)  That same night, I went on PlasticJungle.com and purchased enough Home Depot gift cards (for 7% less than face value) to cover the purchase.
(6)  One week later, I received the coupon and gift cards and physically went to Home Depot to purchase our blinds.  We saved 20% through the manufacturer’s sale, 10% with our coupon, and 7% with our Plastic Jungle gift cards.
In total, we saved $595.11 (33%) on our BIG purchase!
I cannot thank you enough for helping us save BIG!
With sincere thanks,
Marcy

You are welcome, Marcy! : )

Marcy's Living Room Before the New Blinds

Marcy's home with her new blinds. Success at a discount!

As it turns out, Marcy is also a guest contributor for a parenting site: MamaModerne.com, and she wrote up her story as an article, “Saving Big on Big Purchases”. Check it out for more details on how to save when it comes time to pull out that wishlist.

What’s on your wishlist?

Consider the following categories. When you’re dealing with a wishlist, it’s OK to be greedy. Writing out what you want might help you prioritize your wants and needs. (Well, that sounds like another blog post!)

Consumer Electronics: get gift cards from Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, Sony Style, Apple Store, Office Depot, Staples, JCPenney

Home Improvement: get gift cards from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Bloomingdale’s

Furniture: get gift cards from Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma Home, JCPenney, Macy’s, Walmart, west elm, CB2

Designer Apparel & Accessories: Zappo’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Bergdorf-Goodman, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Coach

Pick up any of the above gift cards on Plastic Jungle’s Buy Gift Cards page.

Get thinking, and let us know if you’ve got any strategies for saving with discount gift cards.

How to Check the Balance on Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards

Michelle — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:49:40 +0000

: Steiff Bunny and Steiff Chick available now at Williams-Sonoma

There’s no place better to find charming things to celebrate than Williams-Sonoma and its family of stores, including: Williams-Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, and West Elm. Gift cards from each store are interchangeable; you may use a Williams-Sonoma Gift Card or Williams-Sonoma eGift Card at any of the brand’s stores.

Buy discounted gift cards from any of the stores mentioned above on Plastic Jungle >>>

Let’s take a quick time-out from the busy April month, filled with Spring vacations and coconut-covered lamb-shaped cakes, to click into a worthy cause that Williams-Sonoma supports.

Williams-Sonoma is partnered for the Share Our Strength – No Kid Hungry Campaign.

Share Our Strength is a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America. There are stigmas and embarrassment that surround hunger, challenges presented by access to healthy food, and a struggle to connect children with the resources they need to thrive. For 25 years, Share Our Strength has been confronting hunger head-on to break down these barriers. Together, with your support, you can put an end to childhood hunger. The No Kid Hungry campaign involves taking a pledge, and once you’ve taken the pledge, you’ll become part of their No Kid Hungry community. The campaign provides you with real, meaningful ways that you can make a difference in your area. Go to Share Our Strength—No Kid Hungry Get Involved page for more information.

Check the Balance on Your Williams-Sonoma Gift Card or Williams-Sonoma eGift Card

Not sure how much is left on your Williams-Sonoma Gift Card or Williams-Sonoma eGift Card? Here are a few ways for you to check the balance.

Online

Williams-Sonoma Gift Card balance checker

In Store

Take the card to any Williams-Sonoma store (use the online Williams-Sonoma Store Locator)

Phone

Call 1-800-846-9817. When you call, be sure to have your Williams-Sonoma Gift Card number and PIN in front of you.

Once you know your balance, you can sell or trade your Williams-Sonoma Gift Card securely on Plastic Jungle. At Plastic Jungle, you can also trade your Williams-Sonoma Gift Card for an Amazon.com Gift Card and even fund your PayPal account.

The Benefits of Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards

Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards and eGift Cards may be redeemed at Williams-Sonoma stores and Williams-Sonoma Outlets, on catalog phone orders (1-800-541-2233), and online at WilliamsSonoma.com as well.

Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards and eGift Cards may also be redeemed at Williams-Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, and West Elm stores online, via catalog (phone) orders, and in stores.

Williams-Sonoma Gift Cards and Williams-Sonoma eGift Cards have no expiration date and no transaction fees. Plastic Jungle does not charge shipping fees.

Check Williams-Sonoma Gift Card Terms & Conditions for details on gift cards (link includes relevant phone numbers).

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.

Fuzzy Chicks, a Williams-Sonoma Exclusive