SALES and meal planning/budgeting

I know I haven't been talking about grocery prices much lately. Life kind of kept me too busy to focus on it. However, groceries often account for a large percentage of people's budgets in this country, and so this becomes the topic of many conversations, in person and online. In my town, there's a near-constant chatter about prices and where and how to shop, and I see it in all sorts of online groups as well. I get it - it's really challenging to keep enough food around for a large(ish) family, especially with teens in the house. But since the onset of the pandemic, I've been mostly ordering my groceries online, and supplementing from one or more of my local makolets, and just hoping I can get everything I need while sticking to the budget I set. Usually I manage, but sometimes I go over, especially when there's a lot going on and I can't focus on food prep all that much.

So what do I do when I need to be careful?

Generally, I shop for sales, which means I focus on the produce I can get for 3 NIS/kilo or less (usually veggies not fruits), and this week I found a whole bunch!

Here's my 3 NIS or less produce haul for this week:

Tomatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo
Cucumbers - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Carrots - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Cabbage (Purple and Green) - 0.90 agurot/kilo

White Potatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Red Potatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Watermelon - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Light Green Peppers - 1.90 NIS/kilo

Kohlrabi - 1.90 NIS/kilo

Eggplant - 2.90 NIS/kilo

Summer Squash (Kishuim) - 2.90 NIS/kilo

So now I just need to make sure I make lots of food that these veggies star in. Oh, and we'll be eating lots of watermelon because the one we got weighs TEN AND A HALF kilo!!

**This is where that meal planning idea comes in. It makes all the difference between using this food or throwing out food. So I should start planning my menu now, while my fridge is full of these deals!**

Other deals:

I also somehow stumbled upon those fruit flavored yogurts that are usually about 4 NIS each for 1.70 NIS each!

(I also bought the rest of our necessities, but that's not nearly as interesting as these cheap produce deals.)

I know there's a lot of talk about the high cost of produce right now, and I myself was feeling it acutely when I spent a week in the merkaz recently, where I couldn't find fruit for less than double what I pay here in the Golan. It was crazy! I bought some fruit anyway, because I couldn't imagine a week with no fruit, but it hurt a bit to pay those prices.

So I'm pleased to report that upon my return home I happily stocked the fridge with peaches and nectarines this week for 9.90 NIS/kilo and mangoes for 8 NIS/kilo or so!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about food prices in Israel and how you keep your grocery budget in check. Please drop a note below!

Amazon Free Shipping Deals

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, which helps me keep this blog going. Thank you for your support!

Did you hear? Amazon is offering FREE Shipping to Israel on orders of $65 and up. Not everything qualifies, but A LOT of their goods do. So go check it out! It's a great day to get that hard-to-find item!

I often keep my orders under the $75 taxable threshold, but sometimes I'll buy a more expensive item and prepay the taxes (yes, it can be worth it!!)

I've been researching, and now it's time to share some of the great free shipping deals I found! So, go ahead and read on!

Select Deals you may be interested in:

Corelle Dishes: Service for 4 with FREE Shipping (about half the price of local stores)

Chromebook - a great lightweight computer for such a low price, with free shipping (but yes, you will pay import fees. Still worth it!

A HUGE selection of phone cases, including Otterboxes, have FREE Shipping

Some Prismacolor brand art sets have free shipping, and other art sets too!

This set of 3 cast iron skillets is so cheap and qualifies for free shipping! (you'll have to kasher and then reseason them as they are preseasoned)

Cast iron Bread Pan (this one I want - anyone want to send me a gift?)

Most sets of Hanes underwear have Free shipping 

Anti-allergy pillow covers and mattress covers 

Garmin watch (you'll pay an import fee but shipping is FREE and this is so much less than local store prices!) 

Robot building kit for kids

Hats with SPF 50+ protection (amazing deal compared to what I've seen locally!)

What are you looking for? Let me know and I'll see if I can find it for you!

What great deals did you find? Let me know in the comments below or on my FB page or Instagram channel! 

Find more Shopping deals when you follow me on Facebook or join my Whatsapp group!

Amazon: FREE SHIPPING is BACK!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, which helps me keep this blog going. Thank you for your support!

Maybe you've already heard that Amazon has resumed FREE shipping to Israel? I actually never stopped ordering the items I needed, and had been averaging $25 shipping per order. But this deal is for sure going to save me money! (I order from Amazon once every couple months when I can't find what I'm looking for anywhere else!) I often keep my order to under the $75 taxable threshold, but sometimes I'll buy a more expensive item and prepay the taxes (yes, it can be worth it!!)

Anyhow, starting today, Amazon is offering FREE Shipping to Israel on orders of $65 and up. Not everything qualifies, but A LOT of their goods do. So go check it out! It's a great day to get that hard-to-find item!

What great deals did you find? Let me know in the comments below or on my FB page or Instagram channel!

Find more Shopping deals when you follow me on Facebook or join my Whatsapp group!

Bugs in Israel: Time to deal with the bug situation!

This post contains affiliate links. So if you click on a link here I may receive a small commission but it won't cost you any extra! Thank you!

It's that time of year when some of us find the bug situation in Israel a little overwhelming.

It's a hot climate, and many places in the country are muggy. And you know what? That means bugs love this country! So much! All kinds of creepy-crawly things that we desperately want to keep out of our homes are just hiding away, waiting for their chance to take over.

It is really really hard to keep our Israeli homes bug-free but I thought maybe I could help a bit, after having lived through several traumatic bug infestations in my house.

Here are some of the most useful products I've found:

Sticky boards you hang up to catch flying bugs. I buy them at Max Stock in a pack of 10 or so (they are sticky on both sides) for about 10/11 NIS. Or you can buy them from eBay here!

Pantry Pest/Moth Traps - these are a must for every pantry. Stop an infestation quickly if you have these in the pantry already! Click here to shop for them on eBay!

Cockroach Gel - Advion Gel is the best one out there. It works. So much better than anything else, and it's fume-free. Just put out a few dots about 4 times a year. It's the best. Click here to shop for this on eBay!

Ants. We know how quickly they can take over! The simplest and least toxic solution is Terro. Unfortunately, I have NEVER found it or similar for sale in Israel. So glad it's available on eBay too! Click here to find it on eBay!

That usually takes care of our issues!

If we find a cricket, we try to catch it and release it back outside. Same with spiders and geckos. But if you prefer, you can buy sticky traps and put them in the corners of your house to catch any random bug that finds itself there. They are non-toxic, so that's my preference. Here are some simple glue traps that are inexpensive. 

I hope this post helps you!

NEW iHerb code!

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 love to share iHerb deals and I'm excited to let you know that right now you can get 15% OFF sitewide with code 15OVER70, when you place an order of $70 or more. YES! I'm stocking up on a bunch of things! (This code is valid thru July 21 at 10am PST, for orders to Israel!) יש עכשיו מבצע באיי-הרב וגם אפשר משלוח חינם! 15% הנחה תעלה  לסל הקניות שלך - התחילו עם הקישור הזה לאלו שאינם מכירים את נושא הכשרות בארה"ב, כדאי לבדוק כאן לרשימה של כשרויות "מומלצות" - מקווה שזה יעזור Just click here to shop the sale now! And, if your order doesn't qualify for this sale, code QEJ101 will still give you 5% - 10% off almost anything else on the site! (You can use that code EVERYDAY to create your own sale!) Boxit delivery to a pickup location is my current default delivery choice. Just note that this delivery option is only for orders that weigh a maximum of 5 kg (11 lbs). There are a few products that cannot be shipped this way, so if you discover at checkout that this delivery option isn't available, try removing one item at a time from your cart (I recommend moving it to "your lists" and then moving it back if it's not the one causing the problem). You can often score FREE Boxit delivery - for this, your order must be at least $60 USD. Whether I get home delivery or store pickup delivery, my iHerb orders have been coming really quickly, despite my location in the boondocks, closer to Damascus than Tel Aviv! *************** New to buying from iHerb? Here's a great guide to "recommended" Kosher symbols. It's not 100% complete but it's a great start! Don't get surprised by import taxes! If you're ordering items from overseas, be sure to familiarize yourself with the most recent personal import regulations! HINT: Keep your order under $75 (not including shipping). I've been consistently impressed with their service during the pandemic. I've been filling in some of the things I was not able to get in my regular grocery or pharmacy delivery orders, or simply things that turned out to be less expensive from iHerb. I order things like fragrance free laundry detergent, french roast coffee, and eco-friendly dishwasher detergent, allergen free chocolate chips (note: these only ship November thru May!), elderberry and zinc - just to name a few!  Let me know what your favorite deals are! Want more deals? Join my Facebook Group and/or my Whatsapp group!

Today's Deals!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Here are some great deals I found for you today!

Send a gift to someone - there are options with delivery for everyone!

Chocolate gift box for the Oreo & Milka fans in your life! Price includes delivery to most places in Israel!

Mehadrin Cheese platter, free delivery to the Jerusalem and Merkaz/Sharon areas (check the list before ordering!)

Cheese & Wine gift box, with delivery to almost the whole country (there are a few exceptions, check the list)

Voucher for dinner for 2 at Papagaio in Herzliya - fixed menu, fixed price.

Surprise your favorite kids with this set of Lego bricks - expand their collection and give them hours of entertainment this summer!

Need to get somewhere for a fun day out or weekend away, and in need of a large car/van? Check out this deal from Budget!

Looking for a different kind of deal? Let me know what! I'd love to help! You can find me on FB!

And be sure to check out all the deals available on Groo for great discounts!

iHerb Summer Discount!

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 love to share iHerb deals and I'm excited to let you know that right now you can get 15% OFF most items with code SUMMER15, when you place an order of $70 or more. YES! I'm stocking up on a bunch of things! (This code is valid thru June 30 at 10am PST) יש עכשיו מבצע באיי-הרב וגם אפשר משלוח חינם! 15% הנחה תעלה  לסל הקניות שלך - התחילו עם הקישור הזה לאלו שאינם מכירים את נושא הכשרות בארה"ב, כדאי לבדוק כאן לרשימה של כשרויות "מומלצות" - מקווה שזה יעזור Just click here to shop the sale now! And, if your order doesn't qualify for this sale, code QEJ101 will still give you 5% - 10% off almost anything else on the site! (You can use that code EVERYDAY to create your own sale!) Boxit delivery to a pickup location is my current default delivery choice. Just note that this delivery option is only for orders that weigh a maximum of 5 kg (11 lbs). There are a few products that cannot be shipped this way, so if you discover at checkout that this delivery option isn't available, try removing one item at a time from your cart (I recommend moving it to "your lists" and then moving it back if it's not the one causing the problem). You can often score FREE Boxit delivery - for this, your order must be at least $60 USD. Whether I get home delivery or store pickup delivery, my iHerb orders have been coming really quickly, despite my location in the boondocks, closer to Damascus than Tel Aviv! *************** New to buying from iHerb? Here's a great guide to "recommended" Kosher symbols. It's not 100% complete but it's a great start! Don't get surprised by import taxes! If you're ordering items from overseas, be sure to familiarize yourself with the most recent personal import regulations! HINT: Keep your order under $75 (not including shipping). I've been consistently impressed with their service during the pandemic. I've been filling in some of the things I was not able to get in my regular grocery or pharmacy delivery orders, or simply things that turned out to be less expensive from iHerb. I order things like fragrance free laundry detergent, french roast coffee, and eco-friendly dishwasher detergent, allergen free chocolate chips (note: these only ship November thru May!),  elderberry and zinc - just to name a few!  Let me know what your favorite deals are! Want more deals? Join my Facebook Group and/or my Whatsapp group!

Prime Day Deals of Interest to Israelis

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through a link here and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for your continued support!

Amazon has this huge "Prime Day" sale going on for Prime members. You can easily open a trial membership for FREE! Just CLICK HERE to get your free trial!

Items you may want to take a look at:

Chromebooks. These are not so easily found in Israel, but I honestly can't live without my cute little Chromebook at this point! It's so easily portable and makes it possible for me to get work done anywhere!

Blue Light Glasses - this 2 pack deal and this 3-pack deal are both a GREAT price!

Consider small appliances (220V) like this Air Fryer (3 liter capacity) or this electric multi-cooker or this Instapot!

Garmin Kids' Fitness Watch is available for a great price, too!

There are actually so many deals on Amazon US and Amazon UK right now, so just be sure to check them out! Shipping ranges, so shop carefully.

Happy to help if I can! Leave me a note and I'll see what I can do!

Deals for dancers!

 This post contains affiliate links, so if you click on a link and make a purchase,
I may receive a small commission. Thank you!

Dance. It's an expensive hobby once you get into the competition scene. Our girls have reached that stage where we're spending way more money on their dancing than we ever imagined we would.

Sometimes you just can't cut corners - I don't buy off-brand pointe shoes, for example. But other times, cutting corners is a great way to save. We used to spend upwards of 100 NIS (plus travel costs to get to the closest dance store) every time one of them needed new class shoes (ballet flats), but we don't do that anymore!

Instead, we experimented a bit and ordered a few off-brand shoes from online stores, and we've found one online seller that we really like for this kind of shoe. And SO much less expensive. (Note: this shoe is not usually used by younger, beginner dancers. Always ask your dance teacher for guidance about which kind of shoe is needed!)

Here's the listing:

It's pretty much true to size - but remember that dancers' feet usually swell a bit when they're warmed up, so we ordered 38s when in street shoes we usually get 37s for these girls. And the 38s are perfect for their warmed up feet. (37 and 38 etc are European sizes, in case you're reading this from another part of the world!) Click here to check them out for yourself!

Next - costumes cost a pretty penny. In most cases, though, for local shows and competitions, a discount costume is good enough - and it's not like we have much choice: We're just not able to invest hundreds of dollars on professional level costumes. However, discount costume makers REALLY vary. We've had some great successes, and some that left something to be desired.

Our favorite place to buy softer, romantic look tutus and lyrical dresses is Thank Frank's Aliexpress store. For the price, the quality is AMAZING.

We bought this one from them when we first discovered Thank Frank, and no one believed that it cost less than $50 USD!

This pretty blue peasant dress has seen several competitions already, and it's holding up really well! Click here to go check it out yourself.

For the classic tutu look (pancake style/platter style), we really had a hard time finding a discount seller. In the end, we ordered from Aler Dance Store. I will be the first to admit this is NOT a professional quality tutu. However, it will certainly do for a low-stakes competition or local performance. There were a few minor flaws in the stitching, but we can fix those, and the tulle got a little bent out of shape during shipping, but we can fix that too. Also, be aware that they send the tutu all crumpled up, with a piece of nylon hooping that you will need to insert yourself - but that's actually quite simple to do, so it's totally worth it. And shipping was not free, but we ordered it 11 days ago and we have the tutu in our hands already! Overall, this was a perfectly acceptable experience for a discount costume.

Click here to go check it out. They also sell other styles and colors, and I'll be ordering from them again!

We also try to get convertible tights for less than the standard price. Here's one of the ones we've bought. They don't last quite as long as brand name dancewear, so the jury's still out on this one. But if you just really can't fathom spending 40 NIS on a pair of tights, be aware that you CAN get THREE pairs for the same amount!

Click here to go to this listing!

Anyhow, if anyone out there reading this wants to sponsor our dancers' leotards, pointe shoes, costumes, etc please let me know! (Currently, they wear Bloch brand pointe shoes and are happy to continue. My wallet doesn't love spending 300 NIS or so on each pair, though.)

Happy Savings!

FREE help filing your taxes!

Every year, many of us have to file a yearly tax report with the Israel Tax Authority.

Many, many people pay an accountant to handle this report, but did you know that in some cases you can also get FREE help?

Here's the deal:

The Israel Tax Authority runs Free Clinics for Atzma'im with income from self employment up to 60,000 NIS using Form 137, and other people who need to file a tax report using Form 1301.

Find this help HERE:

Every Regional Tax Office (except Eilat and Tel Aviv - details below), until June 30, 2021, Sunday - Thursday from 1pm - 6:00pm. Some offices may be closed on certain days of the week. I recommend calling before you go to verify they are open!

In Eilat, the clinic will be available only on Mondays and Wednesdays.

In the Sharon area, this service is available only in Kfar Sava. In Ashdod and Rishon Letzion the clinic is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-6pm.

In Tel Aviv, there is a special Resource Center dedicated just to this service, and it will remain open until July 29, 2021. Find it at Rechov Shefa Tal 12, Tel Aviv.




NOTE: The Tax Authority is not offering assistance with other issues at these clinics. They are ONLY for getting help filing your yearly tax report (only forms 1301 and 137).

Good luck, and don't wait to do your taxes! Better just to get it done with, right?