Deeds, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015

Chestnuthill TownshipRobert F. Wilson and Barbara Wise to Noor Ahmed Kazi and Vilma Hazel Arthur, 293 Valley View Drive, Albrightsville, $400,000Jackson TownshipMichael G. Kolchin and Brend Kolchin, Four Seasons at Camelback to Vincent J. and Marie J. Traina, Lot 95, Phase 2B, Northridge at Camelback, $265,000Coolbaugh TownshipKevi C. ad Heather Gallagher to Darin Friedmann and Betty Ng, Lot 69, Section 4, [...]

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Stroudsburg yoga center's popularity boundless, opening new site

Boundless Yoga in Stroudsburg is growing by leaps and bounds.With a second location in Mount Pocono recently opened, the yoga studio is seeing their classes and client list grow each month.Owner Chris Loebsack purchased the yoga studio, once called Sundari, three years ago.“The location in Stroudsburg has been there for 12 years. I purchased it three years ago and changed the name to Boundless,” she said. “I love the idea of it being Boundless. It [...]

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Veterans from overseas hot spots teach martial arts in East Stroudsburg

Army and Navy renewed their heralded football rivalry on Saturday and Christian Herguiz was personally interested.Christian Herguiz understands the commitment of the players to that game, who base five months of practices and games on that one afternoon. He knows how things can come down to one day and sometimes one moment from when he served in the U.S. Army as an E-6 Staff Sergeant in Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt through tours of duty from 2003 before being honorably discharged this year. [...]

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Stroudsburg builder finds niche during housing slowdown

Standing on the sidewalk next to 1345 Dreher Ave., Bob Buff watched a man whom he had hired use an excavator to dig shovelfuls of dirt, swivel away from the hole and dump the soil into a growing pile. It was the second day in the process of building another new house. “It’s a fun project for us,” said Buff, owner of R.W. Buff Construction Inc, based at 50 Storm St., Stroudsburg. “We get to be a little creative and build what we think is exciting and [...]

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5 Big Money Mistakes Freelancers Make

Protecting your profits costs a lot. Not protecting them could cost you plenty, too.

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The Best and Worst Price-Matching Policies for Holiday Shopping

Just about every major retailer offers some sort of price-matching policy that can help you avoid overpaying — not only for holiday gifts, but everyday purchases the rest of the year, too.

Chances are, though, that you’re not taking advantage of this benefit: Only about 5% of shoppers use price matching, according to retail analysts, likely because the fine print and hassle involved isn’t worth the few bucks they could ultimately save.

So you don’t have to, I compared the price-matching policies of 10 popular big-box stores, grading them on several criteria: Is the policy nicely specific or frustratingly vague? Are there any additional benefits or funky exclusions? Does the store allow price matching for online-only stores, or does it restrict the benefit to local competitors? Can customers get a price adjustment after they make a purchase, or do they have to request a match when they’re buying the item?

Before I dive into specific stores’ policies, let’s look at some price matching basics, including some of the common fine print and how it differs from its close cousin, price adjustments.

Price Matching 101

On the surface, price matching is straightforward. If you have proof that a competing store is currently offering the same item for a lower price, show a store associate before purchasing the item and they’ll give it to you for the same price in order to keep your business.

Unfortunately, it’s often not that simple in practice. Retailers will make you jump through a number of hoops before putting a few bucks back in your pocket. Here are some price-matching requirements that you’ll encounter just about everywhere:

• The item must be identical: When we say identical, we mean identical. If you find a sweater for cheaper somewhere else, it better be the same brand, size, and color. If you want a price match on a big-ticket item such as an appliance or a television, the model number must match — but since model numbers are often unique to major retailers, you may be out of luck.
• The other retailer must be a direct competitor: Stores will define competitors in different ways. Some include stores within a certain radius, such as 25 miles, while others leave it to the discretion of a manager. A few stores will price match certain online-only competitors such as Amazon.com, while others specifically exclude them or only allow a few. Some won’t allow price matching from membership clubs like Costco, and nearly all will exclude third-party sellers such as Amazon marketplace or auction sites like eBay.
• The item must be in stock at the other retailer: Perhaps you found a particularly good sale at another store and the item flew off the shelves. In this case, most stores won’t offer you a price match.
• The item can’t be listed as clearance, closeout, doorbuster, or some other special deal: Almost any price that results from something beyond your run-of-the-mill sale will be off limits. This includes any sweet deal you could get from a store that’s going out of business. Some stores even specifically halt price matching during the ultra-competitive shopping stretch between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.

Price matching vs. price adjustments

Price matching is what happens when a retailer lowers a price so that you can pay the same price as you would with a competitor. However, many retailers also allow price adjustments after you purchase an item. During a certain window of time (commonly a couple of weeks) the retailer will pay you the difference if you show proof that a competitor is selling the item you recently purchased for less.

It turns out, though, that you may not need to depend on a retailer’s generosity if a price drops after you buy an item. Many credit card issuers offer price protection — essentially the same thing as price adjustment — as a benefit. According to CardHub, Barclaycard, Citi, Chase, Discover, and USAA offered the benefit on all credit cards in 2015. Wells Fargo, Capital One, and Bank of America offered it on select cards, while American Express and U.S. Bank did not offer it at all.

• Related: Eight Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards

You’ll need to check your card’s benefits guide for applicable details, but there’s typically cap of $250 to $500 per eligible item, and a time limit of 60 to 90 days. Price protection benefits will also have a yearly cap and may exclude certain items such as jewelry, art, or auction items. And of course, you’ll have to use your credit card for the initial purchase in order to get the card’s price protection benefits.

How do I keep tabs on competitors’ prices?

You probably don’t want to scour every weekly circular, right? An easier solution is to use a price tracker. PriceZombie, one of the trackers I profiled in The Best Price Trackers to Beat Black Friday, even has a Price Protection Tracker that specifically tracks price drops during the time window specified by the store or your credit-card issuer.

In store, you’ll want to use a price-comparison app such as ShopSavvy while shopping. Take a picture of the item’s barcode on your phone, and the app will show you competitors’ prices. Keep in mind, though, that these apps themselves won’t suffice as proof of lower prices — policies vary by store, but you’ll probably have to show a current print or digital ad or the current price on the competitor’s website.

Price Matching Policies at 10 Popular Stores

Below, I grade the price matching policies of 10 major nationwide retailers. While I’ve tried to hit the highlights, I recommend reading a store’s policy yourself before you try to use the benefit — you can save yourself some valuable time arguing with a store associate if you know your stuff going in.

Target: A

Target’s price-matching policy is nicely detailed, leaving little chance of confusion for store associates or customers. Unlike some retailers, they will allow you to apply manufacturers’ coupons to your purchase after the price match.

One small annoyance that kept Target from an A+: You’ll have to go wait in line at customer service instead of getting a price match at the register.

Who will they price match? Local retail competitors within a 25-mile radius and 30 online competitors including Amazon.com, ToysRUs.com, Walmart.com, and Wayfair.com. You can also request a price match in store if the item is cheaper on Target.com.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase or a price adjustment for 14 days after you’ve made a purchase. Target does does not offer price matching from Thanksgiving to the Monday after Thanksgiving (Cyber Monday).

How do you request a price match? Head to customer service with either a printed or digital ad showing the lower price. You can’t get a price match for an item on Target.com in store — you’ll have to call the site’s customer service number.

Any notable exclusions? Nothing out of the ordinary. Target stores won’t price-match other Target stores or membership clubs such as Costco. Clearance and closeout items are not eligible. Items must be identical and in stock at the competing store at the time you request a price match. Stores in Alaska and Hawaii won’t price-match online competitors.

Target has one of the best price-matching policies out there, but, like most stores, they suspend the program between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Photo: Target

Walmart: A-

Walmart’s policy is a bit more liberal than Target’s on a couple of key points: They don’t specify a specific time window for price matching, ultimately leaving it to the store manager’s discretion. They also leave the burden on the store associate to obtain proof of a price, rather than requiring the shopper to produce it. In theory, both are nice perks, but in practice, it can lead to confusion and long wait times for customers.

Who will they price match? Local competitors and 30 online competitors including Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Target.com, and ToysRUs.com. You can also request a price match in store if the item is cheaper on Walmart.com, but Walmart won’t price-match other area Walmarts. Competitors’ buy-one-get-one-free and percentage-off offers are fair game as long as a final price is specified.

When will they price match? You can ask for a price match at the time of purchase; there is no official window for price adjustments after you buy. Walmart.com does does not offer price matching from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.

How do you request a price match? Request a price match for in-store or online items from any Walmart associate. If you’re requesting a price match at the time of purchase, you can do it right at the register.

While it is officially “the store’s responsibility to obtain the local competitor ads,” you’ll probably still want to bring proof in the form of a printed or digital ad. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait around for the associate to verify the price themselves. If you need Walmart.com to match a competitor’s price, you’ll need to call the site’s customer service number.

Any notable exclusions? The standard stuff: Items must be identical and in stock at the competing store at the time you request a price match. Closeouts and going-out-of-business prices are excluded. Stores in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico won’t price-match online competitors.

Staples: A-

Staples has a pretty fair price-matching policy that includes most items and major competitors. Like Target, you need to go to customer service to get a price match at Staples. Be aware that Staples will also consider competitors’ shipping charges in any price-matching decisions, too.

Who will they price match? Local competitors and 14 select online retailers including Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, OfficeDepot.com, and Walmart.com. They will also match prices from Staples.com.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase or a price adjustment within 14 days of the purchase. The policy doesn’t specifically exclude any busy holiday shopping periods.

How do you request a price match? Take the competitor’s current ad to customer service. If you need a price match for a Staples.com purchase, you’ll need to call the site’s customer service line — you cannot get it in store.

Any notable exclusions? Nothing out of the ordinary: Staples won’t price match special clearance, grand-opening, or liquidation sales; it also specifically excludes auction sites, which is standard. Phones or other items with service plans must be purchased in store to be eligible.

Best Buy: B

On the positive side, Best Buy’s price-match policy is nicely detailed, and it doesn’t exclude membership clubs. However, you cannot use a coupon on a price-matched item, and the list of online competitors Best Buy will match is fairly skimpy. It also restricts price adjustments to Best Buy and BestBuy.com price drops.

Who will they price match? All local retail competitors within a 25-mile radius and their online prices, as well as the prices of seven major online retailers, including Amazon.com. You can request a price match if the same item is cheaper at BestBuy.com, and vice versa.

When will they price match? You can ask for a price match at the time of purchase. You can ask for a price adjustment within the return and exchange period for an item, but only if Best Buy or BestBuy.com lowers the price — not competitors. Typically, that’s 15 days, but it may be longer for Best Buy Elite Members and for all purchases during the holidays. Best Buy does does not offer price matching from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.

How do you request a price match? Bring in the competitor’s current ad or show the online price to a Best Buy associate on your mobile phone. Associates may verify the prices and availability of the item. If you’re requesting a BestBuy.com price match, you can’t do it in store — you’ll need to contact the site via phone.

Any notable exclusions? Standard stuff. Online third-party vendors, online-only retailers not specifically listed, contract cell phones sold online, clearance and other special offers, and prices for services such as installation.

Lowe’s: B

Lowe’s price matching policy stands out because it will actually beat competitors’ everyday prices by 10%. When competitors are offering a certain percentage off, it will match the net price of the item. However, it won’t price match any online-only stores — bummer. And the policy is a bit vague on some key points.

Who will they price match? Local competitors and the websites of those competitors. Lowe’s will not price match against online-only competitors such as Amazon.com. Lowe’s says it will automatically give online customers the lower price if the price differs between Lowes.com and the Lowe’s store, but only if they select store pickup or Lowe’s home delivery.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase or a price adjustment 30 days after the purchase.

How do you request a price match? Show an associate the competitor’s current ad.

Any notable exclusions? Like most stores, items must be identical. Note that this is a particular concern for appliances, which may be the same between stores except for unique model numbers. You also cannot price-match the cost of installation or competitors’ special order and clearance items.

Toys ‘R’ Us: C+

Toys ‘R’ Us has a nicely specific price-matching policy that allows for matching with a reasonable range of stores, but it is stingier than competitors about price matching during the holidays. It also will only allow price adjustments for seven days.

Who will they price match? Local competitors’ in-store prices and online prices at a dozen retailers including Walmart.com, Target.com, and Amazon.com. They will also match ToysRUs.com and BabiesRUs.com except for online-only prices. You cannot request a price match for items you originally bought at ToysRUs.com or BabiesRUs.com, however.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase or a price adjustment within seven days of purchase. This year, printed ads for Thanksgiving and Black Friday were specifically excluded, as were online prices from the Sunday before Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

How do you request a price match? Show the competitor’s current, complete advertisement to a Toys ‘R’ Us associate. You can also display the competitor’s website or app on your smartphone as long as the price is verifiable.

Any notable exclusions? Special offers such as percentage-off discounts, buy-one-get-one deals, clearance, and doorbusters aren’t eligible. Third-party marketplaces online are also on the blacklist. Toys ‘R’ Us also won’t match competitors’ coupons or offers limited to one day or less.

Home Depot: C

Home Depot’s vague price-matching policy says that, like Lowe’s, it will also beat competitors’ prices by 10%. But it also says “prices must be regular retail prices of competitors” — something that could be open to significant interpretation. Like Walmart, there is no official window for price adjustments after a purchase — that is left to the store manager’s discretion.

Who will they price match? Local competitors and the websites of those competitors. They will also match prices on HomeDepot.com, but you won’t get the additional 10%. Online items must also be available in stores. They won’t price-match online-only stores such as Amazon.com.

When will they price match? You can ask for a price match at the time of purchase; when and whether you can get a price adjustment after your purchase is up to a store manager.

How do you request a price match? Show an associate a competitor’s current ad or a current online price on either a printout or your phone.

Any notable exclusions? Home Depot, like Lowe’s, won’t price-match appliances unless the model numbers are identical, which is a big limitation. Also like Lowe’s, you won’t be able to get a lower price on installation or competitors’ clearance items.

J.C. Penney: C-

J.C. Penney’s price-matching policy is better than major competitors Sears and Kohl’s, but not because it’s particularly generous. You can’t get a price match for any online price, even if it’s J.C. Penney’s own website. However, you may be able to get a price adjustment within a decent amount of time after a purchase if you find a willing store manager.

Who will they price match? The prices of local competitors that “are a reasonable distance of our store.” They will not match competitors’ online prices, prices at online-only stores such as Amazon.com or prices at JCPenney.com.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase or a price adjustment after purchase, as long as a store manager will allow it and the competitor’s price is still valid.

How do you request a price match? Officially, J.C. Penney requests customers to show associates a competitor’s printed store ad, but says “photocopies and mobile phone versions may be accepted,” subject to verification.

Any notable exclusions? Like most retailers, J.C. Penney won’t match special offers such as clearance and closeout prices, or any prices from membership-only stores like Costco.

Sears: D+

Sears has long touted its “softer side,” but the Sears price-matching policy probably won’t inspire much flowery prose. Price adjustments are limited to Sears-branded stores and sites, and it will include the cost of shipping and handling in online price matches, potentially cutting into or eliminating your savings.

Who will they price match? Local competitors that “are a reasonable distance of our store” and the websites of those competitors, other Sears stores, and Sears-branded websites including Sears.com. It will not offer price matches for online-only retailers.

When will they price match? Competitor price matching is available only at the time of purchase. You can request a price adjustment for a lower price from another Sears or Sears-branded store or website within seven days of purchase. They do not offer price matching from Thanksgiving Day until the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.

How do you request a price match? Show the current printed or digital ad to a Sears associate before you make your purchase. If you’re requesting a price match for a competitor’s online item, you must show the ordering page that includes shipping and handling costs.

Any notable exclusions? Like Lowe’s and Home Depot, Sears requires items to be identical down to the model number. It also won’t price match clearance items, doorbusters, buy-one-get-one deals, and other special offers. Stores in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico won’t price-match online competitors.

Kohls: D-

Kohl’s should get a major lump of coal for its price matching policy, which is both stingy and vague. It won’t match anything other than competitors’ in-store prices, including its own website, and excludes a long list of brands from price matching and price adjustments.

Who will they price match? Competitors’ in-store prices only, but who qualifies as a competitor appears to be up to storage associates or managers. They will not match online-only retailers such as Amazon, competitors’ online prices, Kohls.com prices, or the prices of membership-based retailers such as Costco.

When will they price match? You can request a price match at the time of purchase. Price adjustments are limited to Kohl’s and Kohls.com price drops, and you must request one within 14 days of the original purchase.

How do you request a price match? Show the competitor’s current printed ad to a Kohl’s associate before you make your purchase.

Any notable exclusions? Unfortunately, lots. Kohl’s doesn’t match sales prices that are only good for a certain time or percentage-off discounts. It also won’t let you use coupons in a price-match transaction. There is a list of dozens of brands that are excluded from price matching, including Nike, Levi’s and most electronics manufacturers.

Related Articles:

• Five Stores With the Best Return Policies for Holiday Shopping
• Seven Strategies for Haggling at Stores (Even Large Chain Stores)
• How to Get 10% Cash Back on All Your Holiday Shopping

 

The post The Best and Worst Price-Matching Policies for Holiday Shopping appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Inspiration from Stephen McCranie, Jim Rohn, Albert Einstein and More

Once a month (or so), I share a dozen things that have inspired me to greater personal, professional, and financial success in my life. I hope they bring similar success to your life.

1. Stephen McCranie on failure

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” ― Stephen McCranie

The thing that people always forget about incredible success is that it is always standing on the top of a mountain of incredible failure.

Wayne Gretzky, likely the greatest goal scorer to ever step out onto the ice, missed more than 75% of his shots in the NHL.

Barack Obama spent years of his life as a community organizer, but most of the time when he knocked on someone’s door, they shut it in his face.

Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player to have ever played the game, missed the majority of the shots he took during his NBA career.

Me? I have posted over 6,000 articles on The Simple Dollar. I’ve started at least ten times more than that and thrown away more than 90% of them.

If you want to do something well, assume you’re going to fail and fail and fail and fail at it. It’s only through the forging fire of that failure that you occasionally manage to do something great, and the more you fail and fail and fail, the more often you’ll be able to pull off the magic – still only on occasion, but that’s enough.

2. The Miracle Morning

The core idea behind The Miracle Morning is simple. Just develop a morning routine where you spend the first hour or two of your day setting yourself up to have a great day. The rest of the book basically boils down to specific ideas on how to do that.

I can’t agree more. For me, having the right morning routine sets the tone for the rest of the day. I find that I am absolutely at my creative peak for the day when I first wake up in the morning, about ten minutes after opening my eyes. The ideas flow through my head like wine, but they gradually slow down throughout the day.

So, for me, a “miracle morning” means I get up, drink something, eat just a little bit, and then get in the most productive hour of work of my entire day before anyone else in the house even wakes up. In fact, the noise of Sarah rising in the morning and taking a shower is usually a sign that I need to wind that hour down.

That routine, one I figured out in the last year or two, has changed my life. When I’m able to do that day in and day out, it makes each day better and makes my whole life better. It all starts with the right morning routine.

3. Jim Rohn on discipline and regret

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” – Jim Rohn

I find that I always dread making a change right now and giving up something that I value, but once I’ve made that choice to give something up, I almost never regret it.

What I do regret is overindulging in stuff, and I regret that all the time. The trick is always figuring out exactly what “overindulgence” is, and I’ve learned that being on the less indulgent end of that spectrum is almost always the right place to be. I might suffer a bit of the pain of discipline, but I never suffer the pain of regret.

In the end, I’ll choose the pain of discipline every time. It’s small and it’s not a pain that I’ll feel a week or two from now. The pain of regret? That’s a different story.

4. Andreas Ekström on the moral bias behind your search results

From the description:

Search engines have become our most trusted sources of information and arbiters of truth. But can we ever get an unbiased search result? Swedish author and journalist Andreas Ekström argues that such a thing is a philosophical impossibility. In this thoughtful talk, he calls on us to strengthen the bonds between technology and the humanities, and he reminds us that behind every algorithm is a set of personal beliefs that no code can ever completely eradicate.

Google is useful for extracting very specific pieces of information, the types of things that can be expressed in a sentence or two. The problem is that you rarely find those facts in such a short form. They’re always surrounded by more, and the more stuff that surrounds them, the more bias gets introduced into your head.

You can’t avoid it. There is nothing out there that isn’t biased. Even the selection of facts that is given to you on a particular topic is biased – the facts individually might not be, but the specific ones chosen to be shared while others are not chosen? That’s always biased.

The only way I’ve found to overcome this even a little is to try to expose myself to lots and lots and lots of different sources of bias in the hopes that they all cancel each other out. I get my news from a huge range of sources, ranging from very conservative biased sources to very liberal biased sources, and I learn as much from what each side excludes as what they choose to include.

If you remember nothing, it’s this: even a list of facts is biased because of the facts the author chose to include or exclude from that list. The author wants you to think certain things when you read that list of facts. Keep that in mind always whenever you read or listen to anything.

5. Albert Einstein on shabby things

“If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.” – Albert Einstein

If you are making a positive choice for yourself, never, ever be ashamed of that choice. That choice may not match what other people are doing… but that does not matter at all. Maybe they’re making a choice that’s best for them, but that doesn’t mean that their choice is best for you.

Similarly, if you have an idea in your head and you refuse to challenge that idea in any way, it’s a shabby idea. Any idea worth having is one that you challenge again and again and again in different ways so that you know where it is strong and you know where it is weak and you understand it thoroughly. “Just because” is always a horrible reason to hold an idea in your head.

6. An appreciation of Fred Rogers

When I was a little kid, I watched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood almost every day like clockwork. It was on in the afternoon on our local PBS station.

In fact, I held onto watching that show until I was older than I probably should have for two reasons. One, he was the only person on television that actually made me feel like he liked me. Two, the show was really calming for me and it was between the ages of about five and nine that my life was pretty chaotic for a number of reasons.

I’m not much of a fan of television these days, but I cannot deny that Fred Rogers, through the medium of television, had a profound positive impact on my life.

7. Uisce Beatha (Gaelic for “Whiskey” or “Water of Life”)

From the description:

Set in 1912, ‘Uisce Beatha’ (Gaelic for Whiskey or Water Of Life) is the true story of Tom, a young Irish man who leaves his home in rural Ireland to cross the ocean on the ill-fated ‘Titanic’. But a night of celebration beforehand results in a twist that will affect Tom’s fate drastically….

There are moments in all of our lives that feel like an enormous tragedy, but in the rubble of those moments, there is often fertile ground for new seeds to take root and blossom into something amazing.

I’ve had many opportunities in my life that didn’t work out and many moments that felt like giant tragedies. I’ve lost friends due to life tragedies and because I wasn’t mature enough to know how to be a friend.

Quite often, though, great things came out of tragedies. The Simple Dollar came out of my own immaturity with money and, to an extent, with professional relationships. My relationship with my wife was in part borne out of the complete disaster of an earlier relationship.

Painful things happen in life, but they often give rise to great opportunities.

8. Laird Hamilton on your worst enemy

“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your two ears.” – Laird Hamilton

It’s my own worst enemy. That voice in my head tells me to eat another slice of pizza or to spend money on something silly. It whispers so subtly and when I don’t give the situation full attention, I’ll often just follow along with the whispers.

It’s that “full attention” that’s the key. I’m aware that I make really good choices when I give those choices my full attention. Thus, I try really hard to eliminate distractions in my life, especially in those situations where I’m making decisions that matter. I also like to put obstacles in the way of potential bad impulses, like putting the pizza away after I’ve put a couple of slices on my plate.

My own worst enemy is in my head, but I know how to do battle against him.

9. Daniel Levitin on how to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed

From the description:

You’re not at your best when you’re stressed. In fact, your brain has evolved over millennia to release cortisol in stressful situations, inhibiting rational, logical thinking but potentially helping you survive, say, being attacked by a lion. Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin thinks there’s a way to avoid making critical mistakes in stressful situations, when your thinking becomes clouded — the pre-mortem. “We all are going to fail now and then,” he says. “The idea is to think ahead to what those failures might be.”

The idea here is something that I’ve talked about a lot on The Simple Dollar. It’s all about thinking ahead and planning for and visualizing difficult situations before they happen.

What exactly would I do if, say, Sarah died in a car accident on her way home from work? It is horrible to think about this scenario, but thinking about it today, at least a little bit, will make it easier to handle that situation when it arrives.

I often plan ahead for difficult scenarios like this. I think about small stresses, like what to do if our family dog runs out the front door without his leash on and inevitably runs away. I think about big ones, like what to do if one of my parents passes away.

The amazing part is that I’ve found that this kind of “pre-planning” helps a ton when those situations occur. I do feel stressed, sure, but I feel much more like I know what to do in those situations. The right thing to do just bubbles up naturally through me and I handle it well, both for myself and for my family and friends.

10. Karen Lamb on starting today

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” – Karen Lamb

There is almost no major life change that I don’t wish I hadn’t started earlier. Whenever I put off making a change in my life, I end up regretting it big time.

Think about what the biggest change you wish you could make in your life is. Now, imagine what your life would be like right now if you had made that change a year ago.

That’s what your life will be like in a year if you start making that change today.

Start today. You’ll never, ever regret doing it.

11. One Minute Time Machine

(Before watching, be aware that there is a bit of adult conversation in this short film, as one might expect from someone trying and failing to make a love connection.)

From the description:

Every time the beautiful Regina rejects his advances, James pushes a red button and tries again, all the while unaware of the reality and consequences of his actions.

Part of the reason I liked this movie so much is that it’s so simple. It required two people, a park bench, a book, a camera, and two buttons to make. That’s it. Nothing else needed.

Yet, out of that simplicity comes a great story, one that leaves you thinking about opportunities and how the people we interact with also have wants and needs and desires. It’s a strong and universal human truth, but one that we often overlook in our day to day lives.

It doesn’t take much to create something thoughtful and memorable. It’s not the expensive equipment or sets or props or other materials that make the difference.

It’s what you find at the core of all of that. It’s the real sentiment and the real ideas contained inside. If those things are good, then everything is good.

12. Slavoj Zizek on the morning after

“The biggest problem with revolution is the morning after.” – Slavoj Zizek

This quote, more than anything else, has slowly made me into a moderate in almost every aspect of my life.

It’s easy to desire some kind of radical change that, on the surface, reshapes the world into the kind of place that you think it should be. Perhaps, for you, the ideal is a place where everyone’s basic needs are met. Perhaps, for you, the ideal is a place where everyone has maximum personal freedoms. Perhaps, for you, the ideal is a place where the disadvantaged are guaranteed a strong quality of life. Perhaps, for you, the ideal is a place where people can do research unencumbered by the ethical demands of society.

Everyone has different ideals and if we suddenly changed the world to match those ideals, it might seem like an amazing place.

At first.

The problem is that every big dream has consequences. It affects the lives of others in infinite unintended ways. Even minor changes like raising (or lowering) the minimum wage would have profound effects that would ripple outwards throughout society, many of which we can’t even predict.

You might want to change the world, but what happens the day after that? And the day after that? You might dream of and plan for your big change, but you need to also think about what happens after that change. Is it going to really make the world better? The change you dream of might make the world as it is right now a better place, but there are going to be ripples, and what are those ripples going to do?

Every action of significance that we take has consequences. Bombing a group we don’t agree with has consequences – they’re not going to like it and they or their allies will probably strike back eventually. Lowering or raising taxes has consequences as it opens and shuts doors and opportunities for people throughout society, sending them on different life paths.

For me, the real frontier of change is personal change. Make yourself into the ideal that you want to see in the world. Forcing everyone to save for retirement might cause a ton of societal problems, but if you do it for yourself, all you’re doing is securing a good future for you. Forcing everyone to care for the poor would cause all sorts of ramifications, but choosing to drop off some canned goods at the food pantry and volunteer there an hour or two a week creates a good future for you and the people immediately in your community.

Plus, you actually have the power within yourself to bring about that little revolution.

Stop worrying so much about the big picture. Stop stressing and being angry about giant sweeping changes in society. Instead, worry about what’s going on in your own life and your own community.

Make little revolutions happen, and then see what happens tomorrow. You might like it.

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Seniors: Show Your ID and Ski for Free at These 98 Resorts!

The flurries are flying, and it’s time to hit the slopes.

Many people think skiing is expensive, but savvy slope riders can find plenty of ways to save on their favorite winter sport.

If you’re a senior, it’s even easier: Just show your ID.

Seniors ski for free at 98 different ski resorts, according to the Huffington Post. Many other resorts also offer deep discounts to skiers over 65.

Plenty of seniors hit the slopes each year. Japanese skiing pioneer Keizo Mura was even skiing at the age of 100!

Before you hit the slopes, check whether you could ski for free this year.

When Can You Ski for Free?

Every resort has different rules, but many allow free skiing starting at the age of 70.

Some resorts — such as Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire and Cataloochee Ski Area in North Carolina — offer a jump start, letting you ski for free once you turn 65.

However, a handful of other resorts make you wait until you’re 90 years old to ski for free, though they’ll offer discounts before that birthday. Resorts with this higher age requirement include Alta Sierra Ski Resort in California and Welch Village Ski Area in Minnesota, according to the Huffington Post.

Where to Enjoy Free Skiing

These resorts offer some of the best prices for senior lift tickets (free!), as well as other deals.

Be sure to check with resorts to make sure the offer is still valid, as well as whether there are any special requirements to get your free ticket.

• At Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire, local seniors 65 or older ski free Monday through Friday. Seniors also save big on multi-day lift tickets on the weekends. A two-day lift ticket for seniors costs $91, compared to $135.

• North Carolina’s Cataloochee Ski Area lets seniors 65 and older ski for free any time. The resort offers 50 acres of slopes and has a 740-foot vertical drop.

• Arizona Snow Bowl lets seniors over 70 ski for free any time. Seniors 65-69 pay only $39 for a one-day lift ticket — almost half off an adult pass ($69). This Flagstaff-area resort boasts 260 inches of the fluffy white stuff each year.

• At California’s June Mountain, seniors over 80 ski for free. Seniors 65-79 also save big on lift tickets, paying only $52 for an all-day lift ticket. The 1,500 acre resort receives an average of 250 inches of snow a year and 70% of its days are sunny, according to the resort.

• “Ski the Cold Smoke” at Montana’s Bridger Bowl just outside of Bozeman, Montana. This resort lets “super seniors” 80 and older ski for free. Seniors 70-79 get half price lift tickets — only $27. To get a “super senior” season pass, there’s a $10 processing fee. But, you’ll get a season of access to 2,000 skiable acres. The longest of the resort’s more than 75 runs is three miles long, so you won’t get bored.

• Saddleback Mountain in western Maine lets skiers 80 and over ski for free. The 220-acre resort has 66 trails and glades ranging from easy to double black diamond runs, as well as a variety of terrain parks.

• Michigan’s Boyne Mountain lets skiers over 80 ski for free any time during the season. Tickets can be used at Boyne Mountain or Boyne Highlands, so you’ll have two mountains and 115 runs to enjoy.

Where Else Can You Ski for Free?

For the complete list of 98 resorts where seniors ski for free, register for free at SeniorsSkiing.com and you’ll get a PDF via email.

You can also check out last year’s list of free skiing options.

Before you book your trip, though, be sure to check with each resort to make sure the free skiing deal is still running and confirm the details.

Other Senior Discounts

Even if your favorite resort doesn’t offer free lift tickets or season passes, many still offer deep discounts to seniors — and different definitions of when the term “senior” applies.

Be sure to ask your local resort if they have any special deals for those past a certain birthday, whether that’s 55 or 65 or older, as well as any other locals-only specials.

Your Turn: Have you ever taken advantage of a senior discount to ski for free?

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

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