Using Gymbucks Part 2: The Strategy

As mentioned in Part 1 of this series “Using Gymbucks Part 1: The Rules”, one of my original inspirations for the Loobalee “Dress Your Kids for Virtually Free” philosophy was Gymboree Gymbucks.

The key to winning the game is to play it smartly on both the front end — earning Gymbucks, and on the back-end — redeeming Gymbucks. Both angles of the promotion equally impact your overall savings. Many people try to work the back-end on redemption, but the biggest savings opportunities happen on the front-end with earning with double-up promotions.

Strategy #1: Have a Strategy. Making the most of Gymbucks is akin to game of strategy, like Chess for example. In order to win at Chess, you must be an expert on the rules and a master at strategy. It’s simply a plan or method for or obtaining a specific result.

It’s easy. Every one who is serious about playing the Gymbucks game and wants to save a lot more than 25%, should adopt a winning strategy, and I’ll show you how.

There are 4 Essential Tactics:

1. Earn Gymbucks on Sale Merchandise.

I rarely, if ever, buy anything at full price, or even 20% off for that matter. I wait for the 40%+ discounts. I’ve conditioned myself to wait. It requires a lot of personal restraint, especially when tempted by the new line introductions. But, I’ve learned that the one “to die for” outfit will be soon be replaced by the another, so if I miss it — I’m not overly upset.

At Gymboree, both on-line and in stores, there is still a relatively good size selection left on most items when the sales hit 40%. So, whenever I’m trying to earn Gymbucks, I go directly to the back of the store or directly to the bottom of the Sale section on the website…and work my way up.

My goal is to fill my cart with items in the 40-60% off range, items that I actually want, that my kids will wear, and that I know will re-sell. Only if I’ve exhausted my options in the 40-60% off range, will I move up to the 20-30% off merchandise.

2. Redeem Gymbucks on Sale Merchandise.

Ditto tactic number 1. I spend my Gymbucks using the same approach. In my next article, I’ll show you a specific example to demonstrate the value of shopping the Gymboree “from back to front” or “from bottom up”.

3. Spend the Required Amount – Exactly.

This is the tricky, and fun, part. When both earning and redeeming Gymbucks, never ever spend more than is required to earn or redeem the award. Spending over the required amount is the fastest way to water down your savings. I like to challenge myself to hit my purchase at exactly $50, $100, $150, or so on. And, I usually come within $1-$3.

My rules are these:

• I will absolutely rework my order if I’m more than $10 off.
• I will re-consider my order if I’m more than $5 off.

Why these amounts? Because there is are plenty of items available on the site for under $10, so it is always possible to re-do my order or, at least, pause and make sure it’s what I really want to do — knowing I will be getting less for my Gymbucks if I decide to go ahead with the purchase.

4. Double Up on Promotions.

The ultimate way to both earn and redeem Gymbucks is to Double Up on promotions via sales and coupons that allow you to take 20-30% off your total order, and, if shopping on-line, allow you free shipping.

It’s occasionally possible during Gymbucks redemption to double-up. But, there is always plenty of opportunity during the earnings period. Remember — redeeming Gymbucks is only 1/2 the promotion. The other 1/2 of the promotion is Earning, and this is where you can really optimize your “Buck”.

Lastly…have fun! Don’t stress about Gymbucks. Know the rules, have a strategy and plan that you can stick to, and enjoy the rewards!

It’s all easier than it seems, and it is well worth the effort! Watch for my upcoming articles, “Using Gymbucks Part 3: Avoid the Madness” and “Using Gymbucks Part 4: The Rewards” . I’ll walk through some tactics examples that show you how to win.

And, stay tuned to this blog. Each earnings and redemption period, I’ll help you leverage the upcoming sale opportunities and coupon opportunities to get the most for your Gymbucks.

— Suzanne Rielle, Co-Founder, Loobalee.com