New iHerb discount!

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 shoppers have a chance right now to get 10% credit towards your purchase next month. Just place $140 worth of orders in October (can be several orders!) and get $14 credit to use in November! 

Make sure to maximize your savings by taking advantage of coupons! Right now, you'll get 20% off your Baby and Kids products order - click here to load the codes automatically: https://iherb.co/L4qytXd5 (or use my rewards code QEJ101 and promo code KIDSBETTER20 at checkout). OR get 20% off your Supplements purchase - click here to load the code automatically: https://iherb.co/1v9Hoxoc (or use my rewards code QEJ101 and promo code OCT25SUPP 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 15 brands of the week!

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

TIP: Get free shipping if you order $60 USD or more, but keep your order total under $75 to avoid taxes and import fees.

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

יש הזדמנות עכשיו לקבל קרדיט של 14 דולרים למימוש בחודש נובמבר - פשוט הזמינו סכום כולל של $140 או יותר במהלת חודש אוקטובר (אפשרי בכמה הזמנות, לא חייב להיות הכל בהזמנה אחת) ותקבלו קוד למימוש בנובמבר. מהרו לפני סוף החודש - התחילו בקישור הזה: https://iherb.co/4keFVfS5

הנה קוד שיתן 20% הנחה על קטגוריות אמהות, תינוקות, וילדים באתר של אייהרב עכשיו! הקליקו כאן כדי להכניס את הקופון לסל הקניות!

אם הקודים לא עולים אוטומטי לסל הזינו את הקודים

QEJ101

ואז

KIDSBETTER20

ותקבלו את ההנחה!

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$60)!

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!

Shopping Online: The Essential Guide to TAXES for Israelis shopping online from abroad!

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!

Shopping online and wondering what to expect regarding taxes and fees? This guide will help you understand the basics that apply to residents of Israel when shopping online from overseas. 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!

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

Your purchase or package, no matter what currency it was in, will be translated into US Dollars by the tax authority (using the exchange rate of the day they process it) to determine if it's taxable:

Purchases up to $75/Packages with a declared value up to $75 - no taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value above $75, up to $500 - no customs taxes, but VAT will apply in most cases (17% currently), and Purchase Tax (variable rates) may apply (purchase tax applies to very few items at this point!)

Purchases or packages with a declared value over $500 - subject to all taxes (VAT , Purchase Tax (if applicable), and Customs Tax)

Please take note that purchases and packages (even gifts) of up to $75 in value will be subject to customs clearance fees if they arrive using an EMS service* (about 35 shekels), and if the value of the purchase is higher, the customs clearance fee can be higher as well. Other fees are often added on by shipping companies, as there is really not much oversight! I recently saw a bill that included the following fees: Handling fees, Import approval fee, VAT, Computer fee, Unloading fee, Storage fee. Watch out for these fees from shipping companies/courier services. I recommend you always try 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. Once it is found to be taxable, however, applicable taxes will be calculated on the purchase price + the shipping price.

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. 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 contact the customs office nearest you.

Here's the contact info for the various offices, taken from the meches website. I couldn't find any email addresses, sorry.

Tel Aviv
Derech HaHagana 137, Yad Eliyahu, Tel Aviv
Tel: 03-942-1730
Fax: 03-942-1733

Jerusalem
Mercaz Shatner, Givat Shaul B, Jerusalem 91999
Tel: 02-652-6193
Fax: 02-651-1589

Haifa
Sderot Pal Yam 19, Shakmona, POB 245, Haifa 31999
Tel: 04-866-4130
Fax: 04-666-9803

Eilat
Central Post Office, The Red Mall, Eilat 83100
Tel: 08-632-6476
Fax: 08-866-9702

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 from the tax-man.

If you're not sure where to start shopping online, I've compiled a list of websites that offer low cost shipping to Israel! Please be sure to check it out! Let's help open Israel's marketplace and bring down our cost of living without bringing down our standard of living!

Some of my favorite websites to shop from are:

Amazon ~ iHerb ~ AliExpress ~ eBay ~ Book Depository

(Amazon is particularly good because they collect taxes up front and basically guarantee that you won't be charged anything more than what they've collected!)

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.

iHerb Extra Savings!

This post contains my iHerb referral link. You'll save money using it (even existing customers), and I may be compensated by iHerb. It won't cost you extra - but it WILL save you money!

 I've promised to share iHerb deals whenever I hear about them, so none of you will miss out on the extra savings! So here's the current deal:

Save an extra 5% off all orders over $50 USD right now with promo code 5OVER50 (promo code should automatically be added to your cart when you click this link)!

This coupon code is good thru Wednesday, February 28th at 10:00 A.M. Pacific Standard Time (PST)

You can also get the additional 10% off the following special offers with my referral code (QEJ101) or by clicking any of the following special links:

Sports

Superfoods

Joint, Bone, Hair and Skin Formulas

And if you use Shipping Savers, you can get really affordable shipping, even if you choose DHL Express shipping (I highly recommend this shipping method)! You can sort for Shipping Savers on iHerb by clicking the Shipping Saver checkbox on the lefthand side of the page.

Not sure if shopping at iHerb makes sense?
I shop there pretty often, as you may already know. I find it makes life easier for me - not only do they make it easy to find some "hard to find" products my family needs (like fragrance free shower products), but I save a significant amount of money on things like vitamins and probiotics. So many products are definitely less expensive at iHerb than at my local stores, and shipping is VERY affordable as I mentioned above.

Here are some of the things I like to buy at iHerb:

Palm Oil (this eco-friendly version is not available in Israel at all, and is perfect for making frosting or fudge)

Magnesium Tablets (these and many other supplements are quite pricey in Israel and iHerb is a great way to save!)

Stash Teas (I buy these when they are on sale, as the sale price comes out to less than the lowest price I can find herbal teas for locally, and these are just SO MUCH HIGHER quality than teas I can find for an affordable price!)

Vitamin D (so many people are deficient, it turns out! And my doctor prescribed a rather high dose, and what's sold here is very low dose and more expensive)

Probiotics are far less expensive from iHerb than any I've found in Israel, and they don't weigh much! Many of these are "shipping savers" - so they'll lower your shipping costs for the whole order if you add them in!

EO shower gel (we like this kid friendly all-in-one shower product that doesn't irritate our skin!)

Ricola throat drops (these work out to be only slightly less expensive than the local price, so I use them as a "filler" product, never as my "reason for buying")

Witch Hazel (it's really not easy to find witch hazel products locally, and if you love witch hazel, you'll be thrilled with iherb's price. This one is a toner with alcohol in it - some people like the alcohol in it, but if you don't, they also have plenty of no-alcohol witch hazel products)

Coffee Filters (unbleached) - I can find the #4 size locally, but I use the #2 size, and can't always find unbleached, and it's so easy to order it, rather than running around town!

Brown Rice Pasta (only when they're on sale, great for people who don't eat wheat! The local equivalent is more expensive unless there's an amazing sale)

Grapefruit Seed Extract (similar product, 1/4 of the size, cost more than twice as much at my health food store, and many people are convinced this keeps colds away,!)

Essential Oils (I use them in homemade cleaners) - for a fraction of the price here in Israel! Yes, they are real and natural (and very importantly, not an MLM)!

Soy-free Teriyaki Sauce (for my soy allergic child)

Calendula Cream (so soothing and wonderful for eczema!)

Aquaphor Ointment - impossible to buy locally! (lately this has been out of stock at iherb, but you can ask to be notified when it's available). When it's not available, you might find CeraVe to be a good alternative.

I also regularly check the Specials Page to see if products I use are on sale and work out to a better deal thru iHerb during a sale, and I also occasionally will order a hard-to-find spice.

If you haven't ordered from iHerb, now is the perfect time to check it out!
And please let me know what your favorite deals are!

Don't get surprised by import taxes! If you are ordering items from overseas, be sure to familiarize yourself with the most recent personal import regulations!

Living in Israel, Shopping online (Gifts, too!): What you need to know about TAXES & FEES

this post contains affiliate links

package from purchase abroad - tax free!

Shopping online and wondering what to expect regarding taxes and fees? This guide will help you understand the basics that apply to residents of Israel when shopping online from overseas. 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!

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

Your purchase or package, no matter what currency it was in, will be translated into US Dollars by the tax authority (using the exchange rate of the day they process it) to determine if it's taxable:

Purchases up to $75/Packages with a declared value up to $75 - no taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value above $75, up to $500 - no customs taxes, but VAT will apply in most cases (17% currently), and Purchase Tax (variable rates) may apply (purchase tax applies to very few items at this point!)

Purchases or packages with a declared value over $500 - subject to all taxes (VAT , Purchase Tax (if applicable), and Customs Tax)

Please take note that purchases and packages (even gifts) of up to $75 in value will be subject to customs clearance fees if they arrive using an EMS service* (about 35 shekels), and if the value of the purchase is higher, the customs clearance fee can be higher as well. Other fees are often added on by shipping companies, as there is really not much oversight! I recently saw a bill that included the following fees: Handling fees, Import approval fee, VAT, Computer fee, Unloading fee, Storage fee. Watch out for these fees from shipping companies/courier services. I recommend you always try 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. Once it is found to be taxable, however, applicable taxes will be calculated on the purchase price + the shipping price.

One more important point: If you order multiple orders 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. They may not. But it is a possibility you should be aware of before you place multiple orders.

If your order is stuck in customs, or if you feel like you were charged tax by mistake, you will need to contact the customs office nearest you.

Here's the contact info for the various offices, taken from the meches website. I couldn't find any email addresses, sorry.

Tel Aviv
Derech HaHagana 137, Yad Eliyahu, Tel Aviv
Tel: 03-942-1730
Fax: 03-942-1733

Jerusalem
Mercaz Shatner, Givat Shaul B, Jerusalem 91999
Tel: 02-652-6193
Fax: 02-651-1589

Haifa
Sderot Pal Yam 19, Shakmona, POB 245, Haifa 31999
Tel: 04-866-4130
Fax: 04-666-9803

Eilat
Central Post Office, The Red Mall, Eilat 83100
Tel: 08-632-6476
Fax: 08-866-9702

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 from the tax-man.

If you're not sure where to start shopping online, I've compiled a list of websites that offer low cost shipping to Israel! Please be sure to check it out! Let's help open Israel's marketplace and bring down our cost of living without bringing down our standard of living!

Some of my favorite websites to shop from are:

BetterWorldBooks.com ~ iHerb ~ AliExpress ~ eChemist ~ iWOOT

Be sure to check out the whole list!


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

Promo Code at The Hut!

this post contains affiliate links

30% off Homeware Sale Preview | Use Code: HOME30 | Valid: 8th December to 13th December |  Here's your chance to save 30% on homeware at The Hut! This website is ships most items to Israel (some heavy items or certain brands may be excluded) and is a great alternative to shopping at brick and mortar stores here! Nearly everything will come out cheaper! And with coupon code (promo code) HOME30, you'll save even more! December sales are often the best sales of the year! Don't shop just for the sake of shopping, but if you have a shopping list - this is a great time to check out the deals! Make sure you know all about import taxes and other important things you should know before shopping online! No one likes surprise fees. (Click here for the article about taxes)