Need to File US Taxes? I've got NEWS you need to know!

If you're an American ex-pat like me, you know all about the yearly headache of filing your overseas tax return. Currently, this is something we all MUST do, even if we don't like it. There's just no getting around it for now. And because of the complexity of navigating tax documents issued to comply with Israeli tax law (as opposed to US tax law), it is usually NOT recommended to use automated software for filing your overseas tax return.

Until now, that is. I'm so excited to let you know about SimpleTax – the first ever U.S. tax software for Americans living in Israel. I've had a long chat with the founder of the company, and they've worked so hard to make this service available (it's designed to work in a way that standard tax software doesn't) and I'm super excited about this development. 

SimpleTax will walk you through a friendly and intuitive interface to prepare your U.S. taxes on your own, find your highest possible refund and save money on fees - starting as low as 299₪ for a tax return + FBAR.

If your taxes are more complicated, you will most likely pay a higher rate, but still MUCH lower than the quotes I've gotten from accountants recently.

This is going to change our lives. Mostly because staying tax compliant will now be so much simpler and cheaper!

I invite you to find more details at SimpleTax. If you use my referral link (the links to SimpleTax on this site are referral links), you'll get 10% off your first tax return! If for some reason you can't open the link, simply copy-paste this link to go to their site: https://simpletax.co.il/register?referral=KOFRU. Or go to their site on your own and be sure to enter my referral code (KOFRU)

SimpleTax is also on Facebook and has plans to help US citizens in Israel navigate financial issues better. You can be sure I'll be following them and waiting for more helpful developments.

So spread the word that in 2022 we'll be doing our taxes smarter and cheaper! Use my referral code to get a great 10% discount: 

MY-CODE: KOFRU

OR CLICK HERE

I know I've referred many of you to a CPA in the past, but you've probably heard that he's closed his practice. I hope you'll check out SimpleTax as an alternative, now that we've all been left hanging. Questions? Drop me a note at ester@kosherfrugal.com 

מידע חשוב עבור אזרחים אמריקאים שגרים בארץ: הגיע פתרון שיחסוך לנו הרבה כסך!

החל מהשנה, אפשר למלא דו"ח מס אמריקני עם חברת סימפלטקס - ונראה חסכון אמיתי!

אפשר לחסוך עוד יותר עם מכניסים את הקוד שלי בעת ההרשמה. ההרשמה ללא עלות - רק תצטרכו לשלם עם משתמשים במערכת לדווח. השתמשו בקוד KOFRU ותקבלו 10% הנחה.

או הקליקו כאן: https://simpletax.co.il/register?referral=KOFRU

Is it Possible to Lower Your Electric Bill? (& Updated Electricity Cost Calculator)

It's a new year, and time to build new habits.

If one of your goals is to lower your electric bill (truly an admirable goal!), 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, 2021)

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, 2021, the IEC adjusted home electricity rates. The current cost of electricity is approx 51 ag per kWh including VAT.) If the IEC rates change, we will do our best to update this app!

So bookmark this page, and be sure to share it with anyone in Israel who might find this information useful!

Please let me know what you think!

Electrical Appliance Cost Calculator:

Choose an appliance and note its "usage unit" in parantheses 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. 0.51 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:

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

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I'd love to hear if you found this handy webapp 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?

Discount tickets - don't miss out!

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! Thanks for your support! 

--- Retrieved from https://www.kosherfrugal.com/ ---

I'm back with some deals to share! Be sure to plan your days out with discount tickets! It's definitely more fun to go somewhere knowing you didn't pay full price 😂!

Here are some great discounts you can buy right now: 

Bumper Cars and other related activities, starting at 13 NIS per ticket. In Haifa or Ramle. Valid for 90 days from date of purchase

Ninja City, in Haifa - get a child's ticket (age 5-17) for 59 NIS

Gravity Park, in Karmiel - 35/39/55 NIS per ticket (depending on age)

Gravity Park, in Jerusalem - 35/39/55 NIS per ticket (depending on age)

Paintball in Moshav Kalanit, for 40% off

Hai Park in Kiryat Motzkin - choose one entry for 45 NIS or an annual family membership for 649 NIS

Rujum Climbing Gym in Kiryat Shmonah, for 22% - 26% off!

Biblical Museum of Natual History in Beit Shemesh - tickets for 25/29 NIS (child/adult) or a family ticket (4 pple) for 99 NIS. Voucher valid for 60 days from date of purchase

Chai-Kef in Rishon - tickets for 33 NIS apiece. Valid through 8.2.2022

Ice Skating in Beer Sheva - 52 NIS for a 45 min. session. Valid for 60 days from date of purchase. You must reserve your time slot.

Ice Skating in Holon - 48 NIS for a 45 min session. Valid for 60 days from date of purchase. You must reserve your time slot.

These update from time to time, though, so no guarantees they'll last - grab them while you can!

If you are in the USA and buying a gift for someone in Israel, please be aware that GROO allows you to pay using PayPal! However, you do have to open an account with them and that seems to require an Israeli ID number. If you've managed using a passport or other ID number, please let me know! 

Have fun and be sure to let us know where you go!

Money Saving Ideas for Staying Warm

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Winter's here, and that means we're all looking at spending more money staying warm. Israeli houses are definitely on the chilly side if we don't heat them, and we know heaters cost a lot to run. (But did you know that it almost always actually costs less to run your mazgan for one hour than to run a space heater for an hour?! Go figure!)

It all adds up fast - so I'm all for saving money but staying warm. I have a few tricks, but I'd love to hear yours too!

1. Don't boil the kettle all day long. Boil it in the morning and fill up a thermal carafe! That way you can have a hot drink as often as you like, all for the cost of boiling one kettle! I have a carafe similar to this one. I also have a larger one for when more people are around - this is the one I got. They last years and years, and are totally worth the investment.

2. Wear really warm socks. It makes such a difference. If you don't like wool socks, they sell all sorts of fuzzy socks all over the country (check Max Stock or similar!).

3. Warm up quickly with these instant heating pads - they're reusable and great for when you just need to get the chill out of your hands. Some people really like hot water bottles too. Just be careful - they do wear out and you don't want to get a burn if one fails.

4. Block drafts. I made a draft blocker for the bottom of one of my doors out of an old pair of sweatpants. I'm sure you can find something lying around that can easily be made into a draft blocker! For windows, I bought foam weather stripping tape and it helps!

5. We warm the bedrooms before going to sleep, but while we're sleeping, we use really great down comforters to stay warm. (They're even sometimes too warm for some of us.)

6. Hats. Several of my children wear hats all winter long (um, all summer long, too perhaps, but we don't need to go there today, do we?), and they tell me it really makes a difference and isn't just an old wives' tale. Apparently most of our body heat escapes via the top of our heads, so it makes sense that it works! I personally cannot wear a hat all day - I'd get a headache, but if this works for you, it's really helpful!

I'm sure there are many more tricks out there. Share your favorites in the comments! I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas!

New iHerb savings inside!

This post contains affiliate or referral links. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

iHerb is doing something this December. There's a new BIG discount available every day!

Today, I'm excited to share this discount for 20% off your purchase of Body Care items.

Now through 12/15/21 at 10:00AM PT, get 20% OFF Body Care using this link - it will load Promo code BODY20 and Rewards code QEJ101 into your cart for maximum savings. You'll get the better discount of the two when you check out. If they don't load, just load them into your cart yourself, one at a time. Click to add a promo code, and then after it's applied, click to add the rewards code and apply that. You'll see which one gives you better savings.

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 seller, 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.

- Always look for the free shipping option - usually it's to a pickup spot

I was so excited when my order came to $74.98 after the discount was applied, and with free delivery! Talk about maximizing savings while avoiding import taxes! I hope you're just as successful!

Enjoy and happy saving! Click here to shop at iHerb!

Discount Admission Tickets!

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! Thanks for your support! 

--- Retrieved from https://www.kosherfrugal.com/ ---

Plan your days out with discount tickets! It's definitely more fun to go somewhere knowing you didn't pay full price.

Here are some great discounts you can buy right now: 

Paint Pub in Tel Aviv or Haifa (tickets for 2 are 219 NIS. Valid for 60 days from date of purchase and you must book a workshop via their website)

Paint Date in Tel Aviv (tickets are 219 NIS for 2 people/regular price is 400 NIS)

Spa Day Packages at the Leonardo Plaza-Dead Sea for 24%-36% off!

Pack of 11 admissions to the indoor pool in Ramat Gan (Dag HaZahav) for 299 NIS (40% off)

Ice Skating in Holon for 48 NIS / Ice Skating in Be'er Sheva for 52 NIS 

Hot Air Balloon ride in Tel Aviv for 68 NIS (adult) / 47 NIS (child)

Tel Aviv Scooter Tour (EZRaider) for 149 NIS (1 person) / 295 NIS (2 people)

Tickets to the Herzl Museum (17% off)

"Top Rope" Ropes Course at Kfar Blum (33% off)

These update from time to time, though, so no guarantees they'll last - grab them while you can!

If you are in the USA and buying a gift for someone in Israel, please be aware that GROO allows you to pay using PayPal! However, you do have to open an account with them and that seems to require an Israeli ID number. If you've managed using a passport or other ID number, please let me know! 

Have fun and be sure to let us know where you go!

Great GROO deals with FREE shipping!

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! Thanks for your support! 

--- Retrieved from https://www.kosherfrugal.com/ ---

So Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but we can still find some great deals that ship locally! I like combing through GROO's deals to find the best ones. Especially those with free shipping

These update from time to time, though, so no guarantees they'll last.

So here are some of my favorites right now: 

100 coffee capsules for 100 NIS 

4 pillows for 69.90 NIS 

Home Covid-19 Test Kits (you can get them in bulk for about 25 NIS each or less!)

Power Bank (49/59 NIS)

Easy-install window screens for 49.90 but you can buy in bulk and pay less per piece!

Another style of easy to install screens (3 pack for 59 NIS)

Carter's infant pajamas (59 NIS. or 2 for 99 NIS - the two-fer deal comes with a gift of diapers)

If you are in the USA and buying a gift for someone in Israel, please be aware that GROO allows you to pay using PayPal! However, you do have to open an account with them and that seems to require an Israeli ID number. If you've managed using a passport or other ID number, please let me know! 

Amazon's "Epic Deals" Going on Now!

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! Thanks for your support! 

So Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but Amazon's keeping us all happy with sales with their "Epic Deals"! These update rather frequently, though.

So here are some of my favorites right now:

Crayola products (up to 30% off!)

Games (also up to 30% off!)

Melissa & Doug Toys (up to 30 off!)

Many of these items (and more!) qualify for free delivery if you buy $49 of qualifying items (or more)

Just remember - avoid VAT and other import fees by staying below the $75 tax threshold!

If you are in the USA and buying a gift for someone in Israel, please follow those guidelines, too - or be prepared to prepay all taxes and fees. You'll see them before you checkout, so don't worry about surprises. You will need to enter the recipient's ID number at checkout too, so the package can clear customs.

Free Museum admission (and more!) with a Disability Certificate

 PSA for anyone out there who carries a "Teudat Neche" (official disability certificate):

Friday, December 3rd you can get in FREE to dozens of venues.

Here's what's on the list (original Hebrew list is found here - it's a download):

Cinematek Haifa

Cinematek Tel Aviv

Cinematek Herzliya

Cinematek Jerusalem

Cinematek Holon

Cinematek Sderot

Israel Museum

Bible Lands Museum

The Khan Museum Kfar Sava

Ono Museum (registration required)

The Land of Israel Museum Ramat Aviv

The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art

Beit Ussishkin, the Galilee Nature Center

Museum of Islamic Art

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Petach Tikvah Museum of Art

The Khan Museum in Hadera

Rishon LeTzion Museum

Wilfred Museum

Steinhart Museum of Nature

Hecht Museum - Haifa University

Babylonian Heritage Museum in Holon

Ashdod Museum of Art

Museum of Philistine Culture

Bloomfeld Science Museum Jerusalem

Shterman House Museum

Yad Vashem

Holon Museum of Design (advance registration required)

Israeli Museum of Caricature and Comics Holon

Haifa Museum of Art

Tikotin Museum

Haifa Maritime Museum

Hermann Struck Museum

Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum

Etzel Museum

Underground Prisoners Museum Akko

Underground Prisoners Museum Jerusalem

Lechi Museum

Battalions Museum Moshav Avichail

Hagana Museum

Beit Hashomer Kfar Giladi

The Etzel 1948 Museum

Palmach House Museum (advance registration required)

Netanya Museum

Sarona Visitors' Center

HaReut Museum, Metzudat Koach

Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture

Minkov Citrus Orchard Museum Rechovot

Circassian Heritage Center, Kfar Kama

The Raanana Historical Society Center

First Aliyah Museum, Zichron Yaakov

Ben Gurion's Hut, Sdeh Boker

The Valley Train Station, Kfar Yehoshua

The Mizgaga Museum, Nachsholim

Atlit Detention Camp

Etzel Museum at Shuni

Biriya Fortress

1948 Battle Reconstruction Site, Yad Mordechai

The Emek Museum, Kibbutz Yifat

Savta Tzila's House, Yavniel

Circassian Museum, Kfar Kama

Herzl Museum, Jerusalem

The Female Soldier's Memorial, Nitzanim

Mitzpe Gvulot

The Negev Museum of Art, Be'er Sheva

Museum of Islamic Culture, Be'er Sheva

Historic Nahalal Police Station

Museum of the History of Gedera and the Biluim

The Kurdish Experience, Yardena

Rosh Pinah Pioneer Reconstruction

Givati Museum

Chanita Wall and Tower Museum

Museatar – The Ben Shemen Youth Village

Chana Senesh House

National Maritime Museum, Haifa

Haifa City Museum

I apologize for any errors - I did my best to translate the original list, but as always, I recommend calling before you go to be sure the venue you chose is participating. 

Hope you found this helpful -- Happy Chanukah!

If you found this helpful, I'd be so thankful if you share it with others!

Vacation Fun - Discount Tix!

This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link (at no additional cost to you!). Thank you for your support!

It's Chanukah Vacation, so here are some last minute deals on tickets to shows and things to do!

Click here to see all the Chanukah Fun Discount offers on Groo! 

Peter Rabbit Show (various locations) - 59 NIS/ticket

The Jungle Book Show (on Dec 6) - 48 NIS/ticket

Maaseh BaChamisha Balonim (various locations) - 48 NIS/ticket

Aladdin (last minute for today in Yavne) - 55 NIS/ticket

"Touch the Stars" in Herzliya - 49 NIS per ticket/139 NIS for a 3-pack

Igudan Visitors' Center - 10 NIS/ticket

Salvador Dali Exhibit - 59 NIS/ticket

Enjoy the shows!