A lot of stores and retailers let you recycle unwanted items, but very few will actually reward you for doing so. Could be a coupon for future use, or it could be cold-hard reward points that you can redeem for significant savings. In either case, here are all the stores that’ll give you something simply for bringing in items to be recycled.

American Eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

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American Eagle Outfitters offers $10 off a new pair of jeans when you bring in ANY old pair of jeans…they do NOT have to be AE jeans to claim your $10.

The only caveat is that the jeans need to be at least 90% cotton as their going to be recycled.

Above is an Instagram reel I did on this…go follow me on for more shopping hacks.

Apple Store

Donate any Apple branded item to the Apple Reuse and Recycle Program and if the product qualifies for “reuse” you’ll get an Apple Store gift card equivalent to the fair market value of the item.

To get started, check out this site to see what value your Apple item has. Shipping is completely free as well.

AT&T

From their website, “The AT&T Trade-in Program lets AT&T customers turn in old wireless phones and tablets to receive an AT&T Promotion Card.”

All phones, regardless of condition, will be considered for a trade-in, so you got nothing to lose. They’ll let you mail in your device for free too.

Auto Zone

Got an old car battery laying around in your garage somewhere? Throw that bad boy in a cardboard box and bring ‘er down to your local Auto Zone and score a $5 Auto Zone gift card for it.

Best Buy

Best Buy has one of the better recycling programs that can definitely help you save money.

For example, they’ll give you 10% off a new Samsung HDTV when you bring in and recycle a qualifying TV.

They’ll also give you 15% off a HP Inkjet printer when you bring in ANY used printer to a Best Buy store for recycling.

H&M

From the L.A. Times, “any customer who donates a bag of clothing (of any brand) at one of H&M’s stores receives a voucher worth 15% off his or her next purchase.”

The clothes get sorted and either reused, shredded for insulation, or turned into rags.

IKEA

While they don’t have a recycle program all the time, keep an eye out for the occasional program at IKEA.

They’ve been known to give you rewards for recycling aluminum, glass, and plastic from their stores, restaurants, and vending machines.

Kiehl’s

Recycle and return your old or empty bottles to any Kiehl’s location and you’ll be rewarded with a free Travel Collection Product (2.5 oz).

You must recycle 10 full-sized bottles to get your freebie.

Levi’s Store

Bring in ANY brand of clothing or footwear to your local Levi’s store, and you’ll get a coupon voucher good for 20% off any future regular-priced purchase.

They only stipulation is that the item must be clean (and dry) in order to score you the free coupon.

Lush

From the LUSH site, “Bring back 5 empty, clean black LUSH pots to your local shop for recycling and we’ll give you a Fresh Face Mask, FREE!”

They’ll then turn around and recycle them and turn them back into usable pots.

MAC Cosmetics

MAC has made a strong stand on being environmentally friendly in recent years and this continues with their recycle program.

Return six [6] M·A·C containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, and you’ll get a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice. Cool deal.

Madewell

The denim recycle program at Madewell is nothing to scoff at. Bring in your unwanted jeans to your local store and they’ll give you a coupon good for $20 off a new pair of jeans.

Doesn’t matter what brand either as they turn the denim into insulation for homes. Fun fact: It takes between 500 and 1,000 pairs of jeans to insulate the average home.

Microsoft Store

Bring in your old technology to any Microsoft retail store and get it appraised. If it’s deemed to have value, you’ll score a store credit for the value.

The cool part is you can bring in ANY brand for appraisal. They’ll accept laptops, tablets, cell phones, digital-audio players, video-game consoles, games, cables and even remote controls. Find a Microsoft store near you.

The North Face

The North Face has a recycle program called “Clothes the Loop” that has been keeping clothes out of landfills for years.

All you have to do is drop off ANY clothing or footwear item to any The North Face Retail or Outlet location. The condition of the item doesn’t matter. When you drop something off, they’ll give you a $10 reward to be used on any future $100+ in-store purchase.

Office Depot/Max

Whenever you recycle your old ink or toner cartridges at Office Depot or Office Max, they’ll give you 200 reward points per recycled cartridge.

Once you get to 1,000 reward points, you’ll get a certificate which basically entitles you to a $10 gift certificate. Not a bad deal for recycling something you had no use for to being with.

Staples

Become a Staples Rewards member for free and you’ll be eligible for $2 in rewards for every empty ink or toner cartridge you bring in.

You also need to spend at least $30 on new ink in order to use your $2 reward, which shouldn’t be too difficult given the cost of new ink.

Ask the Reader: Have you discovered any other retailers who’ll reward you for recycling? Let me know and I’ll get them added to this list.

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Kevin Dooley.

If you’re a loyal Old Navy shopper, you probably already have a couple money-saving secrets up your sleeve. But are they “bad-ass”? From knowing the best day of the week to shop, to clever hacks that’ll score you a coupon, to cracking their price tag code, these Old Navy insider secrets will change the way you shop. Go forth and save money my friend.

Shop at Old Navy on a Monday or Tuesday

A couple years ago my wife was shopping at Old Navy on the weekend and was disappointed with how picked-over the clearance section was.

So on a whim she asked an employee when they do their clearance markdowns. Much to her surprise, the employee was very open with the information.

She told her to come in on a Monday or Tuesday as they typically have all of their markdowns done by Monday evening.

My wife took her advice and has found MANY terrific clearance deals over the years because of it.

PRO TIP: USE “SNEAKY STACK” DISCOUNTS AT CHECKOUT

Old Navy’s system sometimes allows “double stacking” of discounts—especially when shopping online.

Try adding a coupon code, then removing it, and re-adding a different one to see if both apply. This sometimes works when using a percentage-off discount + Super Cash. Give it a shot!

See Also: Old Navy Return Policy: Here’s Exactly How It Works

You’ll Find Better Coupons Online Vs. In-Store

When it comes to scoring coupons for Old Navy, they always have better online coupon codes compared to coupons you can redeem in-store.

Almost weekly you’ll find a 30-40% off coupon code to be used on your online purchase, where maybe once a month they’ll have this offer available in-store.

PRO TIP: TRICK TO UNLOCK “ONLINE-ONLY” PRICE IN STORES

As is the case with many websites, Old Navy often has better online pricing compared to in-store.

If you find an item that’s cheaper online, use the Old Navy app at checkout to show the price and politely ask for a price match.

They won’t always do it, but many managers will override it for you.

Free Shipping “Secret” When Shopping In-Store

Very few people know about this one. When shopping at OldNavy.com, you have to spend at least $50 to qualify for free shipping.

But when shopping in-store, you can get free delivery to your doorstep on any order over $25.

You can make it happen when you’re unable to find your size or desired color in-stock.

Just tell an Old Navy associate and they’ll order it for you and have it delivered for free when your total surpasses $25.

Stack Coupons on their Website (Sometimes)

After a quick call to Old Navy customer service, I discovered that you can indeed stack coupon codes when shopping online.

The only caveat is that the code must state that you can combine it with other offers.

So when you get your hands on a combinable coupon, make sure you save it and use it when they also have a flat 40% off coupon to maximize your savings.

Look For Prices Ending in $0.47 or $0.97

Back when I cracked the price tag code at a bunch of major retailers, Old Navy was one of my first sleuths.

I discovered that prices ending with .47, .49, .97 or .99 were killer deals.

If the price ends with any of these, then the item is marked as clearance or discontinued and is probably the best price you’re going to get.

See Also: Learn To Crack the Price Tag Code at These Major Retailers

Take Advantage of Price Adjustments

Did you know that Old Navy will give you a 1-time price adjustment if the price of something you bought drops within 14 days of purchase?

True enough, so hold on to those receipts.

Unfortunately you can’t get a price adjustment on clearance items or stuff you bought with a coupon code, unless it was a free shipping coupon.

PRO TIP: STACK PRICE ADJUSTMENT WITH SUPER CASH

Okay, listen up, here’s the hack:

• Buy the item when Super Cash is active and use it.
• If the item drops in price within 14 days, go back and request a price adjustment.
• Since Old Navy does NOT adjust for Super Cash, you keep both discounts.

Easy money, you’re welcome.

See Also: All the Stores that Offer Price Adjustments (32 Retailers and Counting)

Think BIG on Black Friday

My wife and I regularly stock up for our 3 kids on Black Friday at Old Navy and save A LOT of money in the process.

We’ll buy a size or 2 up and store the clothes until the following spring or autumn.

With savings in the 75-80% off range in the clearance section it just makes sense.

Plus, if you prefer to stay at home on Black Friday and sleep in, just shop on Cyber Monday at Old Navy when you’ll see their best online coupons of the year.

Shoot for at Least 40% Off

When it comes to shopping at Old Navy, not only should you shoot for never paying full-price, but you should make it a goal to get savings of at least 40% off your total order.

Totally do-able, especially when you use a coupon code in conjunction with a store-wide sale.

Text Old Navy for an Instant Coupon

Just text Old Navy at 653-689, with the message OLDNVY to score a $5 off $35+ coupon.

Once enrolled, they’ll only text you a new coupon or deal alert on a weekly basis.

Don’t have your phone with you? You can sign-up via their website.

Also, if you sign-up to be on their email list, they’ll typically shoot you an instant coupon code (via email) good for 30% off your online purchase.

See Also: All The Stores That’ll Send Out a Coupon (Instantly) When You Subscribe

Their Credit Card Doesn’t Suck

Most store credit cards suck out-loud and are nothing more than a way to bombard you with advertising, but not the Old Navy card.

Once approved, you’ll get 15% off your first purchase, then earn 5 points for every $1 spent which’ll allow you to score free gift certificates on a quarterly basis.

Plus, you’ll get 1 point for every $1 spent anywhere Visa is accepted.

It also has no annual fee. Just be sure to pay off your balance every month as it comes with a hefty 24.99% APR.

Keep an Eye Out for “1-Day Deals”

The single best day to shop in-store at Old Navy is on a day they’re offering a “1-Day Deal”.

They typically offer them a couple days per week and they’ll often get you 50% off a specific item. Could be jeans, could be dresses, could be shorts, etc.

The best way to know when these 50% off 1-Day Deals are going to happen, is to follow Old Navy on Facebook as they typically update their feed with the full scoop.

Look for Old Navy “Super Cash”

If you’re already registered with Old Navy, you’re eligible to ear “Super Cash” and it’s awesome.

For every $25 you spend, online or in-store, you’ll earn $10 in free cash. Unfortunately, you can’t combine Super Cash with a coupon, but you can combine up to 3 Super Cash rewards on a single transaction.

Maximum $30 Super Cash per transaction in-store, and $50 per online order. So if you have three $10 rewards, you can make a $35 purchase in-store and only pay $5 out-of-pocket. Winning.

Also, if you’re shopping online and your cart total is close to Super Cash eligibility, add a small filler item to push it over the threshold. You’ll often save more than the cost of the extra item.

PRO TIP: CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE TO EXTEND EXPIRED SUPER CASH

Most shoppers are completely unaware that Super Cash is surprisingly flexible.

If you forgot to use your Super Cash, call or chat with Old Navy within 1–2 days after it expires.

Many reps will give you a one-time extension or even apply the discount directly to your order.

Always Buy Discounted Gift Cards

Another terrific way to save money at Old Navy is to buy gift cards at less than face value.

For example, the popular site CardCash.com is currently selling a $100 Old Navy gift card for $81 (18% savings).

If that’s more than you want to spend, they are also selling a $25 gift card for about $20. Obviously the bigger the gift card, the more you’ll save.

Ask the Reader: How do save money at Old Navy? Let me know if you have a bad-ass tip to add. Thanks.

By Kyle James

Photo by Mike Mozart.

The Taco Bell secret menu is a fun addition to my other secret menu articles. I pretty much lived off Taco Bell in my college days and it was typically consumed after 10 o’clock at night. I would have loved to play around with some of these secret menu items back in the day, especially if any could have saved me money. With no further ado, here’s how their secret menu currently breaks down along with my personal review of many of the items. Enjoy.

Cheesarito

This Cheesarito is basically a cheese burrito with some yummy sauce in it.

To get the actual Cheesarito, I asked them to throw in a little onion they call scallions, and same taco sauce they use on their Mexican Pizza.

Verdict: I liked it. It was warm and gooey and had a little kick to it. If you like enchiladas, you’ll like this as it reminded me of a cheese enchilada wrapped up in burrito form.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Gordita Crunch

This bad boy is both a mouthful to say and eat.

To get it, you just order a Cheesy Gordita Crunch and substitute the regular taco shell with the ranch shell.

Then ask for chicken as your protein and all the sudden you have a party in your mouth “border burger” style.

Verdict: Unfortunately, the Taco Bell I was at didn’t have any ranch taco shells.

See Also: The Chipotle Secret Menu Will Literally Blow Your Socks Off

Chili Cheese Burrito

Also known as a Chilitto, this is a bean and cheese burrito, but instead of refried beans, they’ll use chili beans.

The bonus of beef in the chili is what makes this sucker a winner in my book.

Verdict: Good stuff, but I’m a big “whole bean chili guy”, especially over refried beans, so it was right up my alley.

Twice Crispy Quesadilla

You can ask for ANY type of Quesadilla to be “Crispy” or “Well Done”.

What comes out is an amazing creation with a slight, yet DELICIOUS, crust on it.

Verdict: I had my daughter try this one as she loves their quesadillas. She said it was NOT any more crispy than the regular quesadilla, so there’s a good chance employees won’t double crisp yours either.

Doritos Locos Crunch Wrap Supreme

Get the right Taco Bell employee and they’ll hook you up with this beauty.

It’s created when they put a Doritos shell inside the crunch wrap and the end result is supposedly out of this world.

Verdict: I haven’t tried this one yet, but it’s definitely on my short list.

Enchirito

The Enchirito is half burrito, half enchilada and sounds ridiculously awesome.

Order it by name and you’ll get a beef and bean burrito, smothered in red sauce, then topped off with melted cheese.

When I recently ordered it, they did NOT know it by name and I had to explain what it was which was a bummer.

So I broke it down by ordering, “a Burrito Supreme with extra beef and cheese. Then I asked them to put red sauce, nacho cheese sauce and blended cheese on top and heat it up real quick.”

The two employees were awesome and had fun with it and I gave them a nice tip for helping me out.

Verdict: Not gonna lie, the Enchirito was darn good and reminded me of wet chimichanga that you would order at a Mexican restaurant.

It’s definitely a bit of hassle to order but I’d probably do it again if they’re not super busy.

The Hulk

Think “green” and order a bean and cheese burrito, then add guacamole to it for a cool avocado surprise.

Guac on pretty much anything is a winner in my book.

Plus, it was be fun to order just to see the reaction of “burrito artist” behind the counter.

Verdict: It was decent. Let’s be honest here, the guacamole at Taco Bell ain’t real authentic and is more of a sauce than a fresh avocado treat, so everything in the burrito just melted together.

The extra cost of the guacamole wasn’t worth it in my opinion.

The Incredible Hulk

Take it a step further and order “The Incredible Hulk.”

If they have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, just tell them you want a Beefy 5-layer burrito but instead of the nacho cheese, ask for guacamole.

Also, I’ve heard of folks telling them to leave out the inner tortilla but I’m not sure why you’d want to do that, especially if you’re a starving college student.

Verdict: Meh…the flavors, gooeyness, and sauces all kind of melted together on this burrito, I really didn’t taste much guacamole.

I think it would be BETTER to leave in the nacho cheese and have them add guacamole in addition, I might try that next time.

Quesarito

This bad boy was on a bunch of Taco Bell menus as recent as 2014.

And guess what? Many locations will still throw one together for you and it’ll still be in the ordering system.

The Quesarito is 50% burrito, 50% quesadilla, and 100% awesome.

It’s basically a cheese quesadilla folded up like a burrito with all of your favorite burrito fillings inside.

Verdict: This was a winner. I went with a 7-layer burrito as my center piece and a cheese quesadilla wrapped around it.

It was BIG and very filling, and messy, you’ll need a lot of napkins for this one.

Spicy Bacon Tostada

In case the regular Spicy Tostada wasn’t tasty enough, try adding bacon to it.

You can thank me later for this yummy Taco Bell secret menu item. No really, you will.

Verdict: Haven’t tried this one yet, didn’t sound very exciting as Taco Bell bacon can’t be great.

The Superman

While I doubt the Man of Steel would ever order this, it sounds really yummy, especially if you’re hungry and ready to get your grub on.

It’s a 5-layer Beefy burrito, then add the kitchen sink.

The kitchen sink in this example means potatoes, guac, sour cream, and even tortilla chips.

It basically becomes a 9-layer burrito and is not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

Verdict: I’m waiting for when I’m super hungry to give The Superman a try.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve peeled off the Clark Kent glasses and dug into this burrito.

See Also: McDonald’s Secret Menu: Mickey D’s in a Whole New Light

Waffle Taco

Taco Bell serves breakfast? Huh, who knew.

Order a Waffle Taco from their secret menu and get a waffle folded in half and stuffed with scrambled eggs, sausage, and drizzled with a little hot maple syrup.

Dang, that sounds like a really yummy way to break your fast.

Ask the Reader: What item on the Taco Bell secret menu would you order? Also, does their food have the “Conan O’Brien effect” on you sometimes?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart.