Love to read? Find and support Israeli authors!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

You've probably stumbled across this blog post because you love Israel, and I'm so glad you're here! Welcome to my little blog/website!

I'm currently trying to give a boost to Israeli authors - it turns out the world has been less and less likely to make space for Israeli authors on their shelves! Totally not cool. So please help support Israeli authors, and buy their books! This list is for people who can make purchases on Amazon US. Happy reading! 

If you love to read, check out books by these Israeli authors that you can find on Amazon:

Hostage, by Eli Sharabi 

The Day the Devil went on Trial, by Ian Pear (Author)

Winging It - Symphonic Poems, by Rivka Epstein Hattin

Az Nashir- We Will Sing Again: Women's Prayers for Our Time of Need,

Hebrew Edition, by The Layers Press (Author), Rachel Sharansky Danziger (Author), Anne Gordon (Author), Shira Lankin Sheps (Editor)

101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel, by Raquel Ukeles (Author), Hezi Amiur (Author), Yoel Finkelman (Author)

Everything Will Be OKAY!, by Evelyn Fichmann (Author), Vivian Blankfeld (Author)

The Camel in the Forest: A Memoir from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,

by A. E. Hayoun (available as a Kindle book)

By Light of Hidden Candles, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Disengagement: Leaving home, finding home, and encounters along the way, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Letters to Josep: An Introduction to Judaism, by Daniella Levy (Author)

The 36: A Modern Quest in the Ancient Holy Land, by Josh Even-Chen (Author) (a long-time friend of mine!)

The Scrolls of Deborah (Desert Songs Trilogy), by Esther Goldenberg (Author)

The House of Lost Spirits, by Einat Shimshoni 

Harei At M'guyeset Li, by Segulah Levi (Hebrew novel)

Tully and the Pellmells (Tully Grows Up), by Leona Samson (Author), Idan Ben Simon (Illustrator)

Tales of Brooklyn, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Behind the Net: 106 Incredible Hockey Stories, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Community of Ones:The Search for Self after Devastating Loss, by Leona Samson

A Life Inherited: Unraveling the Trauma of a Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor, by Rena Lipiner Katz (Author)

Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders (How to Master Your Mindset, Inspire Your Team and Elevate Your Business), by Daphna Horowitz

Searching for Heather Dean: My Extraordinary Career as a Celebrity Interviewer and Why I Left It, by Heather Dean

Angels & Tahina: 18 Lessons From Hiking the Israel Trail, by Tzippi Moss

Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy – to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East, by Yonah Jeremy Bob (Author), Ilan Evyatar (Author)

Organized Jewish Life: The Essential Guide for Planning Jewish Holidays, Events and Every Day, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

Organized Jewish Life Shabbat and Holiday Planner: The Ultimate Organizational Shabbat and Jewish Holiday Checklist and Planning Workbook, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

Mental Health, Reclaimed: A Simple Guide to Thriving Beyond Labels or Limits, by Dr Azi Jankovic 

A Warrior's Guide to Fibromyalgia, by Sara Halevi 

Everything Tracker - The Ultimate Comprehensive CBT Tool Kit, by Sara Halevi MA (Author), Liora Sophie (Illustrator)

The Breast Cancer Checklist, by Fern Reiss

The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days, by Fern Reiss

30 Jewish Superheroes: An Amazing Collection of Jewish Superheroes (Coloring book), by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet Hashachar Penrod (Editor)

15 B'nei Noah Superheroes Coloring & Activity Book: Heroes from Around the World! | Color, Read, and Learn to Draw Your Own Hero, Torah Comics Paperback by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor)

Inner World (Kindle book) by Hillel Penrod (Author, Illustrator), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor) 

Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land, by Joel Chasnoff & Benji Lovitt

Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar (Modern Jewish Lives), by Yael Unterman

The Hidden of Things: Twelve Stories of Love & Longing, by Yael Unterman

The Street Cats of Nahariya by Jennifer Pyatt (Author), Aya Navot (Illustrator)

White Zion, by Gila Green (see all of her books here, and pre-order the newest one!)

Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls, by Aliza Lavie (Author)

Getting Ready for Shabbat! Let's Make Soup! (Getting Ready for Jewish Holy Days), by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

Girls' Names from the Hebrew Bible: A Children's Bilingual (Hebrew-English) Coloring Book, by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

The Adventures of Incredi-Wheels & Triple S: The Mysterious Missing Book, by Rebecca Rubin Seligson

Storky's Journey Home, by Nachshon Meir Spiegelman

Barnaby Stump and the Soul Thief, by Ezra Snukal

The Lazy Investor: How to Set a Profitable & Hassle-free Investment Portfolio, by David Mann (Author)

Tribal Lands: The Twelve Tribes of Israel in Their Ancestral Territories, by Tamar Weissman (Author)

The Koren Tanakh: Esther (English and Hebrew Edition) (Graphic Novel Format) by Jordan Gorfinkel (Creator), Yael Nathan (Illustrator), Jessica Sacks (Translator)

Not in the Sky: A Collection of Modern Midrash or Biblical Spoken Word, by Rose Isabel Tempest (Author)

THE CAVE OF THE HEART (Kuntres Maarat Ha-Lev): A Treatise on Jewish Contemplative Prayer, by Nachman Davies (Author)

Ascending, by Mimi Tanaman

Lost & Found: The person I was. The discovery of adoption. The person I've become, by Mimi Tanaman

The Messianic Mechanic: a comic tale of the end-of-days, by Reva Mann

Want to buy books in Israel? Check if you can find what you want at Eva's Used Books or Steimatzky! There's also Prag for a new agey kind of book selection - but they do also have R' Aryeh Kaplan translated into Hebrew.

If you are an Israeli author with a book on Amazon and want to be added to this list, please email me at ester@kosherfrugal.com!

Thanks for supporting Israeli authors! Let me know if you found this list helpful, and feel free to share it with all of your friends!

Also, please be sure to support all the businesses in the North of Israel if you're visiting. Many have been struggling to survive since the onset of the war in October 2023. Now that things are quiet - everyone needs your support!

Come find me and my family at the Safed Puzzle Room, Tzfat's flagship escape room game! Find out more at https://safedpuzzleroom.com 

Find me on Facebook

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: 

Kosher Frugal

Israeli Shopping Overseas 

Live in Israel, Shop Online 

Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) 

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Allergy survival guide!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, but it will never be at an additional cost to you!

(for illustrative purposes only)

I've been managing my allergies a lot better lately, and I'd love to share my finds with you!

Some of these things ship FREE to Israel, and I'm trying to maximize that to help you find a good deal.

I've found that sometimes the Amazon deals are the PERFECT solution to finding what I'm looking for without traveling to multiple cities to check all the malls, AND if we do it right, we can get higher quality items and still save money! And with the new, higher tax free limit, I feel confident that we'll all be able to save more money!

Here are some of the options for dealing with allergies in Israel that I found with free shipping (although sometimes free shipping is limited to a certain size, color, or variation, so be sure to check carefully before you order):

Mattress encasers are super helpful but very expensive locally. Here's another option for you to check out 

Saline rinses are highly recommended to keep airborne allergies from ruining your life 

Consider getting hypoallergenic titanium flex glasses frames online that you can then get lenses for at any local optical store

Hypoallergenic medical tape is a very important household item to keep around if you have sensitive skin

Cetaphil moisturizer is a sensitive skin essential!

Fragrance free laundry detergent - these sheets are so easy to use and completely mess-free

Air purifiers REALLY help - if buying from overseas, make sure it's rated for 220V OR uses a USB cord for the power source. Here's one that's portable and battery powered (recharges using a USB cable)

Lotion tissues are ESSENTIAL! If you're up for ordering A LOT at a time, you can save by ordering from overseas! I compared with Rami Levi's lotion tissue prices and if you take advantage of the "order 2 or more, get 5% off" deal, you'll pay several shekels less per package than what I'm seeing as a standard local price.

I'll try to add more deals as I find them! Happy Savings!

Want more deals? Join my groups!

• Great Deals Israel WhatsApp group
• Kosher Frugal Facebook Group
• Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) Facebook Group
• Live in Israel. Shop Online Facebook Group

Grocery Savings

 If you've found your way here, chances are you're trying to figure out how to lower your grocery bill in Israel.

I'm going to try to share some helpful tips and tricks!

I live in a small town and we don't have lots of options for supermarkets. We have the following stores within walking distance of our house:

Machsanei HaShuk (not a huge one)

3 Makolets (2 are owned by the same person)

1 Fruit and Vegetable Store

(and several "Russian Makolets" I don't go to)

We have the option of driving a few minutes to a Shufersal

And we have the option of ordering groceries online from Shufersal or Rami Levy.

I've discovered that the way I spend the least money is by maximizing my ability to do small shops on the different sale days at our local stores, OR by buying from Rami Levy online once in while, especially if I can snag a free delivery deal (they have them every so often)!

Here's the thing I discovered today, when I went to Machsanei HaShuk for their Tuesday Dairy Sales (I only sometimes buy their Tuesday Meat Sales - depends if they're good enough!) - I walked thru the produce section, which I often ignore on Tuesday, knowing that Wednesday is Produce Sale Day. And you know what I discovered?

A fair number of vegetables were priced at 2.90/kilo, which is LOWER than the price they will be sold for tomorrow on Produce Sale Day!

I saw onions, sweet potatoes, eggplants, carrots, yellow peppers, and red peppers ALL for 2.90/kg! And I decided to buy them, except for the onions, as I am fairly certain that they won't be available for anywhere close to that price tomorrow or Thursday! 

Follow up: I checked the sale announcement later in the day. Tomorrow's sale prices have Carrots for 3.90/kg, Eggplant for 5.90/kg, Sweet Potatoes for 6.90/kg, and Yellow Peppers for 6.90/kg, so I'm glad I got them for 2.90! I did see some decent prices on some of the fruit I would consider buying, so if I have time for a 10 minute stop at the store tomorrow, I'll probably get some fruit that's on sale.

UPDATE: I checked on Wednesday, and the items that were 2.90 yesterday were STILL 2.90 today! I'm still glad I bought them yesterday, though, so I didn't have to carry it all home today!

I know that 2 of our local makolets (the two owned by the same person) have produce sales on Monday and Thursday. Lately I can get onions there for 1.90/kilo so I skipped the 2.90 onions, and I'm planning a quick stop at the Makolet on Thursday for their chicken sale that runs Wednesday and Thursday, onions for 1.90 if still available, and potatoes for 2.50 if still available (the sales do change from time to time, so I can't be certain what the price will be).

One of those 2 makolets also has a "produce markdown rack" where everything on the rack is 2 shekels/kg or per package. It's pretty hit or miss but I'm always happy to get bananas and apples from their for turning into muffins or apple crisp.

I checked the specialty fruit and vegetable store, and while it's not nearly as expensive as similar stores in Tel Aviv, I haven't shopped there.

Every once in a while, I'll find myself enticed to stop into Shufersal, but generally, it's pricey. They do sometimes have worthwhile sales in the produce section, though!

Anyway, what's the upshot here?

I recommend exploring your options in order to find out how you'll get the best deal on the foods you tend to buy. If you only have time for one grocery shop a week, you're going to want to figure out which one comes out cheapest overall for your typical list, but I guarantee it won't be cheapest for every item on your list. If you have time for a few small shopping trips, try to take advantage of sales and specials and plan which store is the place to buy what!

So the upshot here is: I buy fruits and vegetables from Machsanei HaShuk and the makolets, I buy dairy sales and price controlled cheese and eggs from Machsanei Hashuk, and I buy chicken from the makolet with the chicken sales unless I find an amazing sale at a supermarket. I usually order spelt flour, pasta, rice, and other dry and canned goods in a once a month Rami Levy order. And I also occasionally find myself buying spices, vinegar and baking soda in kilo bags, and sometimes other baking supplies from a store in the shuk in Teverya that delivers here every few weeks.

I hope this helps get you thinking about what strategies you might want to use to keep your grocery bills down. I'd love to hear your best tips, too!

Join my WhatsApp group and my Facebook Group where I'll be posting my favorite deals!

UPDATED TODAY!!! Import taxes for online purchases: Everything you need to know

this post contains affiliate links. When you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. Thanks for helping keep this website up and running!

package from purchase abroad - tax free!

Do you live in Israel? 

Are you wondering what to expect regarding taxes and fees if you shop online?

This guide will help you understand the basics that apply to residents  of Israel when shopping online from overseas (yes, even if you're not a citizen, you need to know how your orders will be handled!). 

Most of us shop this way to save money, so who wants a tax bill surprise when the order gets here? This post will help you avoid a tax bill (legally, of course!).

Note: the same regulations apply to packages sent from abroad, even if they are gifts!

Some of my favorite websites to shop from are:

Amazon ~ iHerb ~ AliExpress ~ eBay ~

SHOP the USA and SHIP Worldwide with MyUS! 

Here's the rundown (full regulations can be found on the Israel tax authority's site)

When you get a package, the value of your purchase or package will be converted into US Dollars by the tax authority (using the exchange rate of the day they process it) to determine if it's subject to tax (no matter what currency was used when it was purchased).

Purchases up to $150/Packages with a declared value up to $150 - no taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value above $150, up to $500 - VAT will apply in most cases (18% currently), and Purchase Tax (variable rates) may apply (purchase tax applies to very few items at this point!), but no customs taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value over $500 - subject to all taxes (VAT of 18%, Purchase Tax (if applicable), and Customs Tax which varies by category)

Please take note that purchases and packages (even gifts) of up to $150 in value will automatically be subject to customs clearance fees if they arrive using an EMS service*, and some other type of deliveries may also be charged this fee (it's about 40 shekels right now). If the value of the purchase is higher than $150, the customs clearance fee can be higher as well.

Other fees are often added on by shipping companies, and there is not much oversight on the matter. I once saw a bill that included the following fees: Handling Fee, Import Approval Fee, VAT, Computer Fee, Unloading Fee, Storage Fee. Watch out for these fees from shipping companies/courier services - I recommend you always arrange to get your packages via a service that guarantees your fees have all been prepaid.

Please be aware that the purchase price only (not purchase + shipping) will determine whether an item will be taxed. If it is deemed taxable, all applicable taxes will be calculated on the purchase price + the shipping price. This means that if you order something for $150.01 plus $15 shipping, you will be taxed on the total value of $165.01!

One more important point: If you order multiple orders addressed to the same person, with the same address & phone number listed, from the same seller and they arrive within 72 hours of each other, customs may combine the orders and treat them as one purchase for tax purposes, or they may not. But it is a possibility you should be aware of before you place multiple orders. 

I recommend ordering at least 3 days apart, or ordering with different names and contact info (including the tax ID number you provide for clearing customs).

If your order is stuck in customs, or if you feel like you were charged tax by mistake, you will need to file an appeal. The appeal form is on the Meches site: https://www.gov.il/he/service/return-on-personal-import-taxes

Some of these regulations are different from what some people seem to believe, so please refer back to this guide if you are about to place an order and you're not sure what to expect taxwise.

Join my WhatsApp group and my Facebook Group where I'll be posting my favorite deals!

*Examples of EMS services - Express Mail, Fedex, UPS and other express delivery services. Sometimes DHL is EMS and sometimes it is not.

UPDATED: Electricity Usage and Costs

 Since so many people ask about lowering their bills and how to figure out electricity costs for a specific appliance, I decided it's time to post an updated Electricity Cost Calculator. This post reflects the most recent increase, that went into effect on January 1, 2025.

I hope you'll find this post helpful.

One of the best ways to lower our electricity consumption is AWARENESS.

Pay attention to the electricity used throughout the day in your house, and find ways to reduce it - that's the only way to save money if you aren't installing solar panels...

This goes beyond lights that we leave on - the best way to control your costs is to know what's driving your electric bill up, and find ways to reduce your usage. This is why it's good to have an idea of what each electrical appliance we own costs to run.

But how can we know?

It's not so hard - the cost is determined by the appliance's KW usage and how long it runs!

I asked my tech guy 😉 to make a calculator a number of years ago -- it's designed to help everyone get an idea of how much different appliances cost to run. I've posted it before, but now I'm reposting it with an update to reflect the current cost of electricity. VAT is included (so if you're in Eilat, this calculator will overestimate your bill).

This calculator was updated to reflect the current rate (effective January 1, 2025)

Here's how to use the calculator:

Simply choose which appliance you want to calculate, choose how long you'll be running it, and then the app (below) will tell you how much this particular appliance is costing you to run! 

This app is specifically designed using the IEC's current tariffs for residential customers, including VAT (this is for people who pay the same rate 24 hrs/day). 

(NOTE: On January 1, 2025, the IEC adjusted home electricity rates. The current cost of electricity is approx 64 agurot per kWh including VAT.) If the IEC rates change, we will do our best to update this app!

If you find this helpful, please share!

Please let me know what you think!

Electrical Appliance Cost Calculator:

Choose an appliance and note its "usage unit" in parentheses after it. Choose how many units you would be using it for (for example, a fridge has "day" for its usage unit, a dryer has "1 load" for its usage unit, and a hair dryer has "10 minutes" for its usage unit - these are listed next to the appliance name), then click "calculate my cost" to find out how much that appliance costs you to run for the amount of time you usually use it!
 
If your appliance doesn't appear on this list, you can find its kilowatt rating on it somewhere. Multiply kw/H by number of hours used, and then multiply that by the current price for a kilowatt of electricity (approx. 0.64 nis) to find out how much it costs you to run it!

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Select an appliance: Frost-free refrigerator (day) Frost-free freezer (day) Dishwasher (cycle) Oven (normal kitchen use) Microwave oven (2 min) Toaster oven (15 min) Shabbat platta (26h Shabbat) Space heater (1h) Wall unit (heater / a/c) (1h) Under-floor heating (1h) Washing machine (4-5 kg machine) (1 load) Dryer (4.5-5 kg machine) (1 load) Boiler (Electric Dud) (1h) TV (1h) Stereo system (1h) Vacuum cleaner (10min) Hair dryer (10min) Electric sheets (1h) Electric kettle (1 use) Electric burner (50min) Food processor (15min) Computer (10h) Iron - on high (45min) Fan (1h)

Number of usage units:

---

Range: 0.00 ₪ — 0.00 ₪ (depends on your model)

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I'd love to hear if you found this handy app useful. Will it help you change any of your habits? Personally, this helped me realize that since we'd be boiling our kettle multiple times per day, we were really using more electricity than needed. Now we know it's best to fill the thermos after we boil a full kettle in the morning.

What changes are you making?

Don't forget to share this post with anyone who needs it!

And join me on Facebook in my deals group for savings tips and info!

New discount code for iHerb! הנחה חדשה באייהרב

This post contains affiliate or rewards program links. This means I may receive a small commission if you click on a link and place an order, never at any additional cost to you

עברית למטה

iHerb's got a great deal available right now - Get 20% off SITEWIDE for Chanukah now through December 22!

(or use my rewards code QEJ101 and promo code LIGHT2025 at checkout)

Happy savings!

Other sales you might want to check:

Brands of the week - use this link to get discounts when you purchase any products from the 16 brands of the week!

Click here to find all the current Specials - up to 65% off!

There's also a Season's Standouts Sale - use this link to get up to 20% off bestselling products!

Sales change all the time! I'll try to find more codes and update when I can!

TIP: Get free shipping if you order $65 USD or more, but keep your order total under $75 to avoid taxes and import fees.

קבלו 20% הנחה על כל אתר של אייהרב!

(או הכניסו את הקודים QEJ101 ו LIGHT2025 לפני התשלום!)

רק וודאו שהסל הסופי יוצא ללא מיסים - צריך להיזהר מאוד שאחרי הקודים הסל יורד למתחת ל$75 - סף המע"מ

(ולרוב גם תקבלו משלוח חינם עם גלובל אייר לוקר עם מוסיפים מוצרים כדי שסכום הרכישה

יגיע ל$65)!

במקרה ואתם מעדיפים לקנות מאתר ישראלי, אני ממליצה לבדוק את מבחר הויטמינים של קי.אס.פי!

תהינו!

iHerb is one of my favorite ways to find products that I can't get in Israel. Or products that may be available in Israel, but at inflated prices.

Need some ideas for your iHerb order?

Here are just a few things I recommend - several of these are eligible for the extra discount! I'd love to hear what your favorites are:

Teas

Witch Hazel Toner 

Vitamin E Moisturizing Cream 

Plant-based (coconut milk based) Caramel 

Hand Sanitizer (great size for your bag!)

Lip balm 

Concentrated Laundry Detergent 

Unscented Compostable Dryer Sheets

Witch Hazel Cleansing Pads 

Stridex acne control pads 

Cocoa Butter Lotion 

Dental Floss 

Pain Relief Cream (herbal) (the athletes in my house like this one a lot) 

Aspercreme pain relief products (conventional)

Makeup Remover

Aquaphor 

Scar gel

Maple Syrup Granules 

Made Good Granola Bars (allergy friendly!)

Cheddar Cheese Powder

Your order of $60 and up will usually qualify for FREE Global Air Locker shipping!

Don't forget these important, basic principles of shopping online from Israel:

• Keep your order under $75 to avoid paying VAT!!
• Spread out your orders. If you want to buy more than $75 worth of items from one website, and you have the option of splitting your order - DO IT. BUT don't order more than $75 worth on any given day to the same shipping name/address/ID. If you do, customs may combine your orders and charge you. Give it about 3 days between orders. Best to ship to a different name using a different ID for customs, so you can order it all on the same day.
• Always look for the free shipping option - usually, it's to a pickup spot.

I love to see how close to $75 I can get without going over, and get free delivery to maximize savings while avoiding import taxes!

Enjoy and happy savings!

If you prefer to buy from Israeli sites - check out KSP's selection of Vitamin products!

Stay warm this winter!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, but it will never be at an additional cost to you!

(for illustrative purposes only)

Let's stay warm this winter with all things that ship FREE to Israel! 

I've found that sometimes the Amazon deals are the PERFECT solution to finding what I'm looking for without traveling to multiple cities to check all the malls, AND if we do it right, we can get higher quality items and still save money!

Here are some of the options for getting through winter in Israel that I found with free shipping (although sometimes free shipping is limited to a certain size or color, so be sure to check carefully before you order):

Wool & Cashmere socks for women, 3-pack

Blue Fleece Zip Up Jacket or Pink Fleece Zip Up Jacket for kids (seriously, this is an unbeatable price)

Fleece-lined knitted wide headbands, 3-pack

Fleece-lined helmet liner for wearing under your cycling helmet

Lined ankle boots, for women

Lined waterproof boots, for women

Lined waterproof hiking boots, for men

Blanket hoodies! these are awesome. I wear them when it's just me at home and I don't want to run the heat.

Want more deals? Join my groups!

• Great Deals Israel WhatsApp group
• Kosher Frugal Facebook Group
• Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) Facebook Group
• Live in Israel. Shop Online Facebook Group

Free Eye Exams and Discount Glasses! Important info Inside

Do you need new glasses?

NEW - The Optometry School in Tzfat is offering free eye exams and discount glasses!

Get your eyes checked by students who will be closely supervised by licensed Optometrists! After you get your eyes checked, they will give you your prescription. You can buy glasses from their discounted store OR anywhere you want.

To make an appointment, CALL 04-6927991

Appointments are required.

Please don't hesitate to share this deal with anyone who might find this helpful!