Family Dollar Black Friday

Maybe you wouldn't think of Family Dollar Black Friday as you're making your holiday shopping list. But, Family Dollar puts out a Black Friday ad, complete with deals on toys and more. Watch for the Black Friday ad to drop around mid-November. In 2019, it came out on Nov. 18.

Here's what you need to know, including what to watch for and what to skip at Family Dollar during Black Friday.

1. Watch for Buy 1, Get 1 deals — they're kind of Family Dollar's jam on Black Friday.

In 2019, I saw all kinds of Buy 1, Get 1 deals. Here's what I saw:

• Buy 1, Get 1 75% off toys priced $5 and up

• Buy 1, Get 1 50% off family Christmas pajamas and candy canes

• Buy 1, Get 1 50% off As Seen on TV items

• Buy 1, Get 1 40% off all LEGOs

Here's an example of how I got Hatchimals for cheap with the toy offer:

Buy 2 Hatchimals Pixies $10, regular price Buy 1 Get 1 75% off Final Price: $6.25 each, when you buy 2

2. You'll have to go in store to shop Family Dollar on Black Friday.

Since Family Dollar doesn't offer online shopping, it follows that you won't be able to shop Family Dollar Black Friday online.

And in light of the pandemic, I have mixed feelings about recommending that you line up outside a Family Dollar store to get a Black Friday deal. Be smart about it and if you see a crowd gathering at the store on the first day of the sale, consider turning around and heading back at a less crowded time.

Monday and Sunday are the least crowded days to shop Family Dollar, and plan to shop in the morning, which is when those particular days have the least amount of people in the store.

Avoid shopping on Saturday as it's the busiest day of the week.

TIP: Unlike many other retailers, Family Dollar will be open on Thanksgiving Day. Big retailers like Target and Walmart are bucking their longstanding tradition of being open on Thanksgiving Day for early Black Friday shoppers. Family Dollar isn't following this trend and they're planning to be open on Thanksgiving Day.

3. Plan on Black Friday prices being available for a whole week.

In both 2018 and 2019, Family Dollar made Black Friday deals available from the Sunday prior to Black Friday until the Saturday following.

4. You can use Family Dollar coupons on Black Friday!

Rejoice — it's just another day of couponing at Family Dollar. All the regular coupon policy rules apply.

And in 2019, I saw a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase during Family Dollar's Black Friday sale. This was a store Smart Coupon, only available inside the Family Dollar app, which leads me to…

5. You must download the Family Dollar app in order to get access to store coupons.

When it comes to couponing at Family Dollar, you simply have to download the Family Dollar app because this is where all Smart Coupons are housed.

Smart Coupons are typically manufacturer coupons, although you'll find the occasional store Smart Coupon, which you can stack with a manufacturer coupon. (You can't use a Smart Coupon that's a manufacturer coupon with a paper manufacturer coupon because you can never use two manufacturer coupons on one item.)

Store Smart Coupons are usually offers like "$5 off a $15 purchase of school supplies," or "$5 off a $25 purchase." Manufacturer coupons are dollar-off specific brands of products like $0.25 off Charmin brand toilet paper.

6. Avoid Black Friday surprises by learning in what order Family Dollar applies your coupons.

The last thing you need on a busy holiday shopping trip is confusion when your coupon doesn't apply at the register. Knowing what order your coupons will be applied helps you to anticipate what your final total will be. Here's Family Dollar's order of redemption:

• Paper or Store Manufacturer Coupons:

  These coupons are applied to your item first.

• Store Smart Coupons:

  Next, Smart Coupons like "$5 off $25" are applied. These are applied last and your total must reach the minimum after all coupons.

• Cash-Back App Rebate (like Ibotta):

  Redeem

  Ibotta

  rebates soon after you complete your purchase.

I want to repeat the second step about store Smart Coupons — if you're using a manufacturer coupon along with a "$5 off $25" coupon, you must reach $25 after all your manufacturer coupon discounts are applied!

Sign up with this Ibotta link to receive up to $20 in bonuses.

• Welcome Bonus #1: Receive a $10 Welcome Bonus for redeeming an in-store offer (Any Brand and Any Item offers excluded)

• Welcome Bonus #2: Receive a $5 Welcome Bonus for redeeming a mobile shopping offer.

• Welcome Bonus #3: A secondary $5 Welcome Bonus for redeeming an in-store or mobile shopping offer.

7. Keep your eyes peeled for discounted gift card deals — up to 15% savings.

Family Dollar offered 15% off gift cards for Uber and Domino's in 2019. These are steep savings on gift cards and if you see a deal like this on a gift card you know you'll use, buy a few!

TIP: Check on discounted gift cards at Raise.com. As of this writing, they're sold out, but I've seen up to 15% savings when you buy a discounted gift card from Raise.

8. Don't buy small appliances at Family Dollar — buy them at Kohl's instead.

Family Dollar's prices on small appliances like blenders, toasters and slow cookers are reasonable — $10 each is nothing to turn up your nose at.

It's just that Kohl's offers a similar product for less than $3 after rebates.

Family Dollar: Black & Decker toaster $10, Black Friday price

Kohl's:

Buy 1 Toastmaster toaster (reg. $24.99) $18.99, doorbuster deal Submit for $14 mail-in rebate Use TURKEY15 for 15% off Pay $16.14, submit for $14 mail-in rebate Final Price: $2.14