My son and I were on the hunt for a bike. He has suddenly outgrown his wheels, and now wants to lean in to the adventure of off-road mountain biking, which calls for a very different machine to the one he has.
I’m all for the great outdoors and started the quest to get the "best" (for our phase of life) with a standard online search. You know the drill: you check out what’s recommended, why, what the price jumps give you in the way of kit and function. I’m sure many a parent becomes an accidental doctorate holder in whatever thing their child is into at a given time.
I could not believe we had fallen into the trap of using the first price tag as a reference — it was a novice mistake.
Armed with "facts", we set out to a place that would have the bikes he could try out for size, feel and fit.
It started so well and then it went terribly wrong.
Why? Because we’re human. Chatting to the expert on the shop floor meant we were exposed to even more information — and then, the clincher: trying out the goods led us to "better", more-expensive bikes.
Here’s the thing: they didn’t have the right sized frame in the two models we wanted to compare, which meant trying other bikes that were the correct size — models that were also at a significantly higher price-point than we’d discussed.
Understandably, the most expensive bike felt "amazing" and became the new reference point. Sigh.
This meant that all other bikes were then compared to this piece of magic in terms of price and performance.
It wasn’t just my son who was doing the comparisons, I was too.
“Oh, it’s ‘only’ Dh2,000 more than this much less brilliant bike.” It’s the kind of thinking that gets us all in trouble.
This, my friend, is the anchoring effect. It works as follows: you are exposed to a piece of information. This information primes you in a certain way. Then you’re given other pieces of information. You might think you are processing each bit of information independently — but alas, you’re not. Your cognitive bias refers back to what you were exposed to first, and compares against it when making decisions.
I could not believe we had fallen into the trap of using the first price tag as a reference — it was a novice mistake.
There's a well known experiment by psychology professor Dan Ariely that brings this to life. In his 2008 book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions, Mr Ariely describes an experiment by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon where he and his colleagues asked students to write down the last two digits of their social security numbers. The students were then asked to write down the highest bids they'd make on various items, such as a box of chocolates and a cordless keyboard. When the bidding was over, Mr Ariely asked the students if they thought they'd been influenced by their social security numbers. 'No' they replied.
Here’s what happened: students with social security numbers ending with the highest digits (80 to 99) bid 216 to 346 per cent more for each item than students with the lowest ending numerals (00 to 19).
Now think back to the last time you were shopping for a particular item, only to see a whopping price tag. It could be a gorgeous jacket for thousands of dirhams. You walk away (well done), but your brain doesn’t. It refers back to that big price tag when you see something else — and before you know it, you’re buying that something else, because you think it’s a ‘good deal’ — even though it’s a totally different product.
Here’s how you can be hooked and reeled in: you’re in the market for a car — or a bike. The sales person walks you past the fully loaded version of what you’ve enquired about. You might feel obliged to sit in (or on) said vehicle, because the sales person has invited you to do so. You love the feel, the perks. But not the price. You walk away. You then go to the next level down, and even though it’s still significantly higher than the budget you’d set, you start justifying the cost. All the while, you’re mind is referencing the anchor. The first price tag. This next one is a steal in comparison. Next thing, it’s yours.
With Black Friday, a day of shopping deals, on its way, be vigilant of your inherent human condition and the risk of anchoring bias ruining your finances for a significant time to come.
I, on the other hand, will be watching Black Friday like a hawk. My mission is to see if the highest-priced bike tried out is available at the price-range my son and I originally discussed. I hope I can pull myself away from any other financial carnage.
Simply sticking to your budget and freeing your brain up to move on is best. That’s when the first price tag has no power over you.
Nima Abu Wardeh is a broadcast journalist, columnist, blogger and founder of S.H.E. Strategy. Share her journey on finding-nima.com
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs
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Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Honeymoonish
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
MORE FROM CON COUGHLIN
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Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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WORLD'S%2010%20HIGHEST%20MOUNTAINS
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New schools in Dubai
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5