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Shopping On Black Friday? Experts Say You Need A Game Plan

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Retailers are gearing up for what they hope is going to be an 'epic' Black Friday, with deep discounts on everything from clothing, to cars and electronics.

According to personal finance journalist Vera Gibbons, 145 million people are going to be shopping this weekend -- and if you're one of them, it's just all the more reason to have a good game plan to maximize your discounts.

Charles Mott is first in line at the Best Buy on the Upper East Side waiting to get his hands on a flat screen television. Mott, who arrived at the store at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, says it's one of the best deals out there this season and definitely worth the wait.

"It's going to be $150 -- about $400 off," Mott said.

Hunter College student Grace Sabean said it's family tradition to hit the mall on Black Friday.

"We leave at three or four in the morning," Sabean said. "We usually go to Urban Outfitters first -- because it's my favorite store -- and my mom always hits Best Buy."

Gibbons says it's bad to go and look around without a game plan, because it leads to a lot of impulse buys. Once you know what you're looking for, Gibbons recommends searching for it on an aggregate website like Fatwallet.com -- from there you can find out what retailer is offering the best deal and when.

"It's particularly important this year because the deals are staggered," Gibbons said. "They started early, some are an hour long, some are a month long. Some of the deals are online, some of them are in-store only."

What are you going to get the best deal on? According to Gibbons, electronics are one of your best bets.

Gibbons says you can find laptops, tablets and televisions at giveaway prices.

Retailers are also offering great deals on appliances and household items this weekend.

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