The National Retail Federation said 130 million people are expected to shop on Black Friday. Many say the deals are just too good to pass up.

At Cabela’s in East Hartford, shoppers racked up savings on Thursday.

“The deals were great. The deals were wonderful. And I had some gift cards so that was even better,” Kristina Beaulieu, of Ellington, said.

It was one of the few stores open on Thanksgiving.

Many of the parking areas were empty outside major retailers that were closed.

“I think it’s great. It’s a holiday. Everybody needs a break. It’s nice and convenient when stores are open. But someone has to work those hours,” Forest Berwick, of Manchester, said.

The National Retail Federation estimates 182 million people are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

Those searching for savings are suggested to download the apps for your favorite stores.

“So bigger box retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, they’re going to have newsletters, apps, emails that you can sign up for that are going to send you those promotions on a daily basis,” Ali Mierzejewski from Toy Insider said.

Americans are predicted to spend upwards of $966 billion this holiday season.

With all that cash going out, the Better Business Bureau suggests:

• Reading the fine print. Some doorbusters and other deals might be excluded from certain discounts.
• Do your research. Some sale items could be a cheaper model and not as expected.

If you’re browsing online, browser extensions can help find coupons and deals.

“That way you can see when the price dips, and that’s when you want to make your purchase,” Kimberly Palmer from Nerdwallet said.

Experts also suggest finding out the return policy and warranty information, as well as getting a gift receipt.