Have you shopped at echemist?

You know how when you make aliyah there's always something you wish you could get from "back home" but it's just not available here? Or maybe it is, but is much harder to get than you expected?

the luggage always fills up faster than expected!

I have one answer that will help you stop begging for space in people's suitcases for the little things. Luggage real estate has become especially hard to find, so it's more important than ever to find other ways of bringing those items to Israel!

So today I want to introduce you to eChemist.

If you've never shopped from eChemist, this is one site you really should check out! They offer free international delivery when you purchase 20 GBP (about 95 nis) worth of items! To compare, some Israeli websites that sell OTC meds and other assorted items only offer free shipping if you spend 200nis or 300nis!

You can get a whole lot of items like Vicks Vaporub... Children's Sudafed (without a prescription)...Ricola lozenges at an incredible price (yes, you can get those here or on iherb but don't you want to save some money??), sensitive skin "band-aids", plus other supplies and OTC meds, often for much less than you'll pay at a local pharmacy. 

Some items that are Rx only in Israel can be purchased without a prescription from echemist. Some VERY hard to find items that people are always asking about are just a click away (like this item that comes up time and time again in various women's group discussions).

You can even order from a great selection of Melissa & Doug toys!

And, as always, don't forget to check out the Sale Page!

A word of warning to Americans and other non-Brits: some of the brand name items you'll find on echemist are formulated very differently in England, and may not be the medication you are looking for! For example, Benadryl on echemist is NOT the same medication as Benadryl in the USA! Please check carefully before buying.

ALSO be aware that import restrictions on medications may apply. Order at your own risk.

When you shop from any of the links on this page, I may be paid a commission. Thanks in advance for your support!

iHerb Promo Code! (limited time only)

Click any link in this post to start shopping at iHerb now and help support this blog - links in this post generate credit for me at iHerb. Thanks in advance for your support!

Right now you can get 10% off any order over $40 (US dollars) at iHerb!

Use promo code GET10 in your shopping cart before checking out.

In addition to immediate savings, you will also get a 10% Loyalty Credit based on your total order value, that they can use towards your next iHerb order! (I really like this Loyalty Credit thing, it's great!)

Remember to check out the Brands of the week that are 20% off!

And of course, as always, first time customers who use any of the links on this page to start shopping at iHerb will get a 10% off your first order, regardless of the total!

I know, some of you want to know more about my iHerb obsession and what kinds of things I buy from them. Check out this post to learn more about that!

Hurry! This coupon code - GET10 - is only good thru Monday, December 12, 2016.

Books!!

The Better World Books 48 hr Flash Sale is BACK!

Right now, Shop the Better World Books Bargain Bin, and get 20% off your order of 5+ books! 

Here are the details:

If you don't find what you're looking for at BWB, don't despair! There are a number of other booksellers who ship worldwide for free.

Try out these:

Book depository -  Free worldwide shipping!

Wordery - Free worldwide shipping!

iHerb Promo Code - Limited Time Only!

Right now you can get 10% off any order at iHerb!

Use code JULY31 in your shopping cart before checking out.

In addition to immediate savings, you will also get a 10% Loyalty Credit based on your total order value, that they can use towards your next iHerb order! (I really like this Loyalty Credit thing, it's great!)

In addition to the Brands of the week that are 20% off, all hand and body lotions are 15% off, so this is a good time to stock up on brands that rarely go on sale!

And of course, as always, first time customers who use any of the links on this page to start shopping at iHerb will get a $5 credit in their cart!
  
But Hurry! This coupon code is only good until Friday, July 31st, at 10 a.m., Pacific Time. 
I know, some of you want to know more about my iHerb obsession and some of the things I buy from them. Check out this post that will tell you more about that!

What do I order from iHerb?

Here in Israel, there is a special allure to ordering products online. It's generally a money-saving move, if you know where to shop, and what's worth importing. That is the key to feeling like you got a great deal! And don't forget shipping charges - one of the things that often trips people up is shipping. Make sure you order from retailers that ship using the postal service, not FedEx and UPS, that way you'll avoid all sorts of extra fees!

A favorite site among ex-pats and native Israelis is iHerb. They sell natural products, vitamins, supplements, etc - usually for less than the equivalent at local health food stores, and they have a far wider selection. And right now, they have flat rate shipping to Israel for just $4 per order (max weight per order is 4.0 lb, shipping special ends Sept 30)! **UPDATE** they continued this flat rate shipping indefinitely.

I often get asked, what's worth buying at iHerb? So I put together a list of my favorite things to order from them to help get you started. Many of you out there will have DIFFERENT favorites, and that's totally ok, because they carry so many products that each person can find his/her own unique way to save while getting what's needed! 

(If this is your first time ordering from iHerb, any of these links will automatically load a $5-$10 discount into your cart, depending on the total cost of your order!)

So here's my list of favorites, in no particular order:

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!)

Vitamin D Tablets (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)

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")

Stain Remover (this Ecover product is GREAT, and iHerb's price is slightly lower than I can get it for locally when there's a sale, but again, I just use it as a "filler product" when I'm ordering other things and there's space left in the order)

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 - great for teens' skin issues - but they also have plenty of no-alcohol witch hazel products)

Coffee Filters (unbleached)

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 so many people are convinced this keeps colds away!)

Essential Oils (I use them in homemade cleaners)

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

Calendula Cream (so soothing and wonderful for eczema!)

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!

p.s. if anyone wants to try out Vitacost for similar products - you can get a $10 coupon toward your first $30 purchase using my referral link!

This post contains affiliate links, thanks for your support!

IWOOT - sneak preview sale!

20% off IWOOT – PREVIEW SALE

Looking for a great gift, or special item for yourself?

IWOOT is such a fun place to look!

Haven't checked it out yet? Well, you are in luck, because right now there is a GREAT Preview Sale going on - IWOOT is having Black Friday Part II "declining sale" tomorrow, (the % discount will decrease throughout the day!) and instead of waiting, you can get 20% off right now, at the sneak preview sale!

Make sure to use code PREDECLINE

Valid from 6pm 4th December – 6am 5th December (Times are London Time, I believe)

this post contains affiliate links

Way to Save: Aliexpress today!

It's November 11th, and AliExpress is having a HUGE sale!

Make sure you create an account and redeem "coins" for coupons for extra savings - it's one of their special promotions today.


 
People have been asking what makes sense to buy on Aliexpress. I answer, anything you would buy locally that is actually made in China! You'll save a lot of money. BUT here are a few things you should know: always check a seller's rating before buying, and read product reviews before you decide to purchase. Also search through the listings. I've seen the same product offered for $2 and for $20. And I also sort by "free shipping" so I won't get stuck paying large shipping fees. So be a careful shopper as always! AND don't buy things you weren't planning to buy! That will never save you money.

Happy savings! 
Please let me know if you found a great deal!

Goggles4U ships to Israel for $9.95

Buying glasses online has become a really popular option here in Israel. For many, this offers the only way to buy affordable prescription glasses. I know that once I was quoted a price of 2000 shekels for my glasses, and that scared me off from buying new glasses for at least a year longer than I should have waited!

I know, that sounds crazy. And it probably wasn't my best decision, but I was dealing with multiple issues and my eye doctor actually recommended waiting a little while if I could manage. So I waited as long as I could.

In the end I bought new glasses for about 400 shekels a few months ago here in Israel, which is very good for thin lenses for high prescriptions, with astygmatism correction and anti-reflective coatings...

But I know that I may have gotten a better deal had I shopped online, although I must admit, shopping online for high index lenses with all the requirements I have was actually not so cheap when I checked at some point.

However, there may be another place for me to check next time! I've just discovered another website that ships glasses to Israel - Goggles4U offers $8.99 Glasses w/ Coated Lenses, and international shipping starts at $9.95

So, if you are buying glasses online, be sure to check out Goggles4!

this post contains affiliate links

Better World Books Sale!

YES! Fall is here! Well, at least that's what the calendar says. SO... go ahead and save 40% off your order of 6 or more used books from BetterWorldBooks.com (US customers), or 20% off your order of 6 or more used books (international customers). 

Sale ends on September 24, so hurry!

Kosher Casual deals

For my readers looking to buy some new clothing now that the 9 Days are over. After all, it's time to think about "Back to School" AND the chagim. Both good reasons to buy something new!




Kosher Casual is STILL offering free shipping for orders over $99!

Don't forget to check their sale section, sometimes you find GREAT deals!

Click here to shop at Kosher Casual! And don't forget to let me know if you found a great deal!

iHerb's Free International Shipping Deal

I've mentioned I love iHerb before, right?
I order all sorts of things from them - from hard to find items to natural food products that are very, very pricey here in Israel and are sold for a normal price on iherb. And their low $4 international shipping rate made it so easy -- but I was always a little jealous of people in the US who could get free shipping!

So, naturally, I was very excited to wake up this morning to a "free shipping" announcement. 

Of course, it's after I've already placed an order this week - so that's a bit of a bummer - but I will share the news with all of you so I'll feel better that SOMEONE out there is getting a good deal

Free Shipping Now through July 31st, International customers enjoy free International Airmail shipping (where available) for orders over $40.00. 

In addition, first-time customers who use my links will get up to $10 off their first order!


So, if you've been looking for some hard to find (mostly natural) item, now's a great time to try out iherb and see if it works for you!
 



 

Physician's Formula on sale at iherb

Usually, I talk about food or other kitchen type products I order from iherb.

You see, iherb has made my life so much easier since making aliyah. I can't actually afford to order very much from them, but I DO order some select items. Most months I spend $20 or so on an iherb order, including the $4 shipping charge for a 4 lb order (I try to get as close to 4 lbs as possible, and usually end up ordering between 3.96lbs and 4lbs).

Today, though, makeup wearers out there can rejoice!

 
Right now,
 
Physician's Formula products are ALL 20% off right now!
No coupon code is necessary, but if you've never ordered from iherb and you click thru my link, you'll find another great discount pre-loaded into your cart!

Sale ends May 14, at 10 am Pacific Time, so get it while you can. Some products may already be temporarily out of stock...

Comparison Shopping

There has been a lot of talk lately about rising prices.

Everywhere.

This includes online stores, where I buy specialty items. Yes, the price increases have taken hold there too.

I have been doing most of my specialty grocery/cleaning supplies/hygiene products from iHerb.com although if you are in the US, you can use Amazon, and with their Subscription offers, you can get a great deal!

I knew that often I was paying a slight markup over Vitacost, but the tradeoff was 4 lbs would ship here for $4 versus 3.4 lbs shipped from Vitacost for $10.99. So overall, my orders were costing less.

But recently, when I noticed that some of the prices of items I usually buy seemed a lot higher than they had been, and I started to wonder which would make more sense for me.

So, I just did a price comparison of my shopping list on iherb and vitacost -- I had to take out 2 small items to keep it under the threshold for expensive shipping at vitacost.

Here's what I found:

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Dish Detergent  - iherb price: $4.40, vitacost price $2.80
Bob's Red Mill Baking Powder (aluminum free)  -  iherb price $4.66, vitacost price $3.29
Ricola cough drops  -- iherb price for 24: $2.66, vitacost price for 50 $4.49

iherb total including shipping:  $15.72 
Vitacost total including shipping: $21.57 (ok, so I get twice as many Ricola cough drops with this, but I got to throw in a freebie in my iherb order - so it evens out)

So in this case, it still makes sense for me to order from iherb, as it comes out cheaper despite the higher retail prices. But for some items it really may make sense to order from Vitacost.

I will just have to go back to comparing carefully.

If you've never shopped at vitacost, you can get $10 off your first order of $30 or more by registering here.

If you've never shopped at iherb before, you can get $5-$10 off your first order with coupon code QEJ101, or just click here and the code will be entered into your shopping cart.

Cashback from iHerb!

iHerb has a really great year-end deal going on right now.

If you spend $100 during the month of December at iHerb, you'll get a credit in your account for 10% of your December order totals to spend in January!

It's a great deal, and I am definitely going to be taking advantage of it!

Here are some of the products I'm thinking of ordering:

Dishwasher Detergent Gel

Dishwashing Liquid (this is the only dishwashing liquid I have ever found that doesn't make my eczema flare up)
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I order this once a year to make my Hamantashen. They just aren't the same with regular whole wheat flour. I know it's a bit early, but I can just keep it in the freezer...)

Dagoba chocolate bars

Unbleached Muffin/Cupcake liners

Mighty Maple Peanut Butter (seriously delish!)

Aluminum-Free Baking Powder

Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa (this is a real indulgence)

and other things that I can't think of right now!

What will you order?

My new jean skirt

I wanted to tell you all about my new jean skirt. I got it a few weeks ago.

It's so cute.
It's completely unique. Check out those amazing flowers and pretty beads!

It's upcycled, so it's eco-friendly!

My friend Janet sells these great skirts and other upcycled clothing in her Etsy store! You are sure to find one you LOVE too! Shipping will run you about $10, shipped anywhere in the world she ships to!

Even if you are not familiar with the idea of upcycling, I think you'll love what she does - she takes clothing that isn't being used as is and turns them into unique creations!

Check it out!

Flash sale at Better World Books!

Looking for books?

We ALWAYS are. We homeschool, and in addition to needing educational books, we are HUGE readers here.

So, for a very limited time - Shop the Better World Books Flash Sale and save big on 5 or more used books, all with Free Shipping Worldwide! 

Have fun book shopping!

a very small sampling of our used book collection

If you found this post informative/useful/important, etc, please follow this blog (links on the right!) and find us on Facebook! 

Children's Book Sale!

BetterWorldBooks.com has a great sale going on right now!
(Valid thru May 20th)
Save 15% off your purchase of 4 or more used books (children's books marked "Sale")!

Always free worldwide shipping, which is great!





The links in this post are affiliate links, and I'll get a commission if you click thru them and make a purchase. This will not cost you any extra, don't worry!

Style J discount code!

Great Pre-Mother's Day Sale! Use code ME30N to get 30% - 70% off your order from Style J! (Have I mentioned I love their jean skirts?)

Code valid April 22- 26, 2013

Save Big on Used Books!

It's BetterWorldBooks.com's Spring Sale!

For 12 hours only!

Get 15% off your purchase of 5+ used books.

With free shipping worldwide, of course!
(conditions may apply)

Clicking thru my links may earn me a commission, but you won't pay anything extra. I appreciate your support!

More Books on Sale!

Of course, free worldwide shipping.

Book Depository is offering a new sale book every 15 min. The specials won't last long, but rumor has it that it's worth trying to get your wish-list books this way!

You know you like free shipping as much as the next person....

Check it out!

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