Electric Rates are up. Do you know what's driving your bill up? Check this out!

The Israel Electric Company raised electricity rates again - the latest increase went into effect in February 2024. 

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.

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 February 1, 2024)

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 February 1, 2024, the IEC adjusted home electricity rates. The current cost of electricity is approx 62urot ag 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. 0.62 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 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?

ETA - Electronic Travel Authorization for incoming tourists to Israel

This is BIG, important news for anyone planning to visit Israel who holds a passport that doesn't require applying for a visa in advance.

Israel is instituting a new ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) requirement.

This means that while you don't need to apply for a visa at the embassy/consulate, you DO need to apply for an ETA before you book your flight. You will NOT be able to get on a flight to Israel without a valid ETA-IL.

(If you have a teudat zehut or Israeli passport, this DOES NOT apply to you!)

Click here to learn all about it

In short, you now need to apply for an ETA-IL before you book a flight - it remains valid for 2 years from the date of issue. The ETA will cost 25 NIS.

The ETA pilot phase begins on June 1, for US and German passport holders. During the pilot phase, the fee is WAIVED.

So if you want your first ETA-IL for free, and you hold an eligible passport - apply during the month of June! You don't have to have a trip planned to get yours, and it will make it easier for you to spontaneously buy tickets when you see a deal you like later.

After the pilot phase, the system will be open to everyone who holds a passport from a country that is exempt from an advance visa. The ETA-IL will cost 25 NIS and is non-refundable, but it is valid for 2 years, provided your passport doesn't expire or get changed.

Click here to enter the ETA-IL application system

So if you know US or German passport holders who plan to visit in the next 2 years - pass this post along to them, so they can apply for an ETA-IL between June 1 and June 30, and avoid the fee this time!

Great shopping deals!

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

It's a great time to look for deals. They're actually everywhere! 

I found a whole lot of interesting things on Amazon that are priced at $10 or so or less, and qualify for free shipping to Israel with your $49 order.

Maybe some of these are things you were looking for?

Hope this helps someone out there!

• Star Wars footed sleepers
• Women's Fleece Zip-Up Jacket (made of recycled materials) - buy now for next winter and save big! 
• Swimwear separates for a great price! Tops: Tankini, Crop top. Various style bottoms: These or these or these.
• Men's cotton flannel shirts (some colors are marked down to under $8) 
• Nursing t-shirt
• Bra 2-pack
• Leaf-patterned table runner
• Tea towel gift set
• Set of 4 trivets

Remember - when you're buying from overseas, the limit for tax-free purchases is $75. Amazon will show any applicable taxes at checkout before you finalize your purchase - I recommend splitting your order if you go over the $75 limit.

Other websites don't necessarily calculate taxes at checkout - so it's highly recommended to check carefully so you can avoid surprises. Right now, $75 is about 275 NIS. This can change so check before you checkout!

Looking for other deals? Want to shop a website that doesn't ship to Israel? Check out Shipito! My referral link is https://www.shipito.com/?id_affiliate=22917 - check it out!

Free Help Filing Israeli Taxes for Last Tax Year (2023 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 filing yearly tax reports: this year, assistance is available for Atzmaim (freelancers/self employed people) with income up to 60,000 NIS using Form 137, people who need to file a tax report using Form 1301, and employed individuals requested a refund using Form 135.

Find this help HERE:

Regional Tax Offices will operate these services between May 5, 2024 and June 26, 2024, Sundays and Wednesdays 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 service will be available only on Mondays and Wednesdays. In Um Al Fahem, the service is only available on Sundays. 

NOTE: These clinics are ONLY for getting help filing your yearly tax report or a request for a refund for employed people (only forms 1301, 137, and 135).

Bring ALL your relevant paperwork with you so you can get the most accurate assistance.

Good luck!

Follow me on Facebook for more tips and info!

 

International Museum Day - FREE Museum Admission!

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.

Don't miss this! International Museum Day is here - Get FREE admission on May 9, 2024 to the museum of your choice: Choose from the list of participating museums below!

Looking for something else to do? Check out these workshops, tours, and more!

NOTE: Some of the museums require advance registration.

Be sure to visit the ICOM site and register to avoid disappointment.

Participating Museums:

Center/Merkaz:

Beit HaGedudim

Man and The Living World Museum

Fetter Museum of Art and Nanoscience at The Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials

Liebling Haus - White City Centre

Rishon Lezion City Art Gallery

Museum of the Sea at Palmachim

The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History

Gallery 10 at Beit Michal

Edmond de Rothschild Centre

Rishon Lezion Museum

Botanical Gardens at Kfar Monash

Holon History Museum and Archive

Lechi Museum

Tel Aviv City Museum

Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art

Ramle Museum

Weizmann Museum

Netanya History Museum

Ilana Gur Museum

Petah Tikvah Museum of Art

Bank of Israel Visitors Center

Ramat HaSharon Geological Museum

The Religious Zionism Center

Mazkeret Batya Settlement Museum

Josef Bau Museum

The Land of Israel Museum

The Shenker Israeli Design Center

Petach Tikvah Pioneers Museum

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Rechovot City Art Gallery

Bat Yam Museums

Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art

Agam Museum

Rubin House Museum

Etzel 1948 Museum

Rechovot Miniatures Museum

Museum of Babylonian Jewry

Israeli Comics Museum

Puppetry Arts Museum

Jewish Sports Museum

Anu Museum of the Jewish People

Museum of Man and the Environment

Yad L'Banim Rechovot

Kfar Sava Museum

Hagana Museum

Nachum Guttman Art Museum

Yitzchak Rabin Center 

Bialik Center

The Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center

The Azor Archaeology Museum

Beit Theresienstadt

Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center

Jerusalem Area

Heichal Shlomo

Old Yishuv Court Museum

Museum on the Seam

The Bloomfield Jerusalem Museum of Science

The Museum of Islamic Art

The Moshe Castel Museum of Art

Tower of David Museum

Museum of Italian Jewry

The Hebron Visitors Center "Touching eternity"

Hasmonean Heritage Museum

Yad VaShem

The President's Hut

Museum of The Underground Prisoners Jerusalem

Jerusalem Nature Museum

Karaite Heritage Center

The Bible Lands Museum

The Israel Museum

South

Ben Gurion's Hut

The Photo House

Museum of Bedouin Culture

The Negev Museum of Art and The Museum of Islamic and Near Eastern Cultures

Museum of Philistine Culture

Eilat Art Gallery

North

The Mizgaga Museum

Madatek 

Ein Dor Museum

Khan Museum of Hadera

Sturman Museum

The Emek Museum

Mishkan Museum of Art

Wilifred Museum

Knights' Halls, Old Akko

Uri & Rami Nehoshtan Museum

Ghetto Fighters' House Lohamei HaGeta'ot

Haifa Museum of Art

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

National Maritime Museum

Haifa City Museum

Hermann Struck Museum

Dubrovin Farm

Bet She'an Museum

ORRYTA Gallery

Circassian Museum

ICA Museum Farmers Courtyards Kfar Tavor

Regba Aqueduct

Museum of Yarmukian Culture

Hecht Museum

First Aliyah Museum

Fisher House Kiryat Ata City Museum

Zinati House - Pekiin Jewish Heritage

Museum of The Underground Prisoners Akko

Janco-Dada Museum, Ein Hod

Naharayim at Gesher

The Train Museum (Haifa)

Beit Yemei Binyamina

Umm al-Fahm Art Gallery

Chana Senesh (Anna Szenes) House

Looking for something else to do? Check out these workshops, tours, and more!

Guide to Free activities on Pesach

I just HAD to take a break from Pesach cleaning to share this:

Here's the list of Bank Hapoalim's free attractions for Pesach 2024. I have linked to websites in English, whenever possible. I hope you find this list helpful, and that you get to have some super-frugal fun over Pesach!

*Please note that I put a lot of effort into this post, tracking down websites in English for your convenience. I know the Bank Hapoalim info and other info is available to the public in Hebrew, but this blog post has added benefits for the English-speaking community. Because it was so much work, I request that you link back to this post if you share this information. Thank you!*

Please leave a comment with your favorite place to visit!

If you haven't already, go ahead and like my Facebook page so you don't miss out on deals and great info all year round!

The following are free to the public (April 24-28) courtesy of Bank HaPoalim. Pre-registration is required, and will open on Sunday, April 21. Click here to register

North:

The Wilfrid Museum 

The National Maritime Museum

Mishkan Museum of Art, Ein Harod

The Haifa Museum of Art

The Janco-Dada Museum 

The Ghetto Fighters' House Museum

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

The Golan Archaeological Museum

The Haifa City Museum

The Treasures in The Walls Museum

Yigal Allon Center

Hermann Struck Museum

Central Israel:

The Etzel 1948 Museum

The Yemenite Jewry Heritage Museum

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art

The Lechi Museum

Bialik House

The Etzel Museum

The Umm-El-Fahm Art Gallery

Beit HaGalgalim - House of Wheels

Planetanya

The Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art

Anu Museum of the Jewish People

The Rabin Center Israeli Museum

Design Museum Holon

The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art

The Israeli Cartoon Museum

Palmach House Museum

The Ramat Gan Museum of Israeli Art

The Rubin Museum

The Haganah Museum

4 Jerusalem: 

The Farm in the Valley

Israel Museum

Jerusalem Walls Tour

The Bible Lands Museum

The Hasmonean Heritage Museum (Modiin)

Museum of Islamic Art

South:

Ba'Ofen (Bike Rides)

Meshek 77 (Strawberry picking and more)

Kibbutz Chatzerim Visitors Center

The Tzon Barzel Heritage Museum

Lunada Children's Museum

Park Timna

Ben Gurion's Hut

Beta Israel Village

The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture

The Legends of Yamit Visitors' Center

The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture

The Salad Trail

Chavat HaDekalim Petting Zoo

Ron Art Judaica Studio

The Sderot Founders' Museum

The Negev Pioneers Site at Ruchama

The Sea Museum

Other venues that are also FREE:

The Gush Katif Museum, Nitzan - free to the public on April 24-25, 10am - 4pm. *8947

Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem has special programming for Pesach. Free for kids under 18, Miluimnikim and their families, and evacuees from the North and South. April 24-25, 10am - 6pm

Namal Tel Aviv has several free activities over Pesach. Different activities are available on different dates, check the schedule for more info

Tiyul around the Kinneret, Thursday, April 25. Registration is required. Click here to register for the short one at 9 am or the long on at 11am.

Ramat Hanadiv, Zichron Yaakov. April 24-25, from 10am - 2pm. Outdoor fun - Click here for details. The event is free but the parking lot is not.

First Aliyah Museum, Zichron Yaakov. April 24-25, 9am - 4pm, April 26, 9am - 2pm

Spring Festival at JNF (Keren Kayemet LaYisrael) parks. Specific locations - details and registration links HERE 

Mapah U'Matzah events at National Heritage Sites:
April 24: Golani Memorial Site, Kfar Sava Museum, Mikve Israel Visitors Center

April 25: ICA Museum Farmers Courtyards Kfar Tavor, The Emek Train Site in Kfar Yehoshua, the Khan Museum Hadera, 

April 24 & 25: Atlit Detention Camp, Herzl Center at Har Herzl, Gush Katif Museum, The Future of the Desert in Yerucham, My City Eilat Museum

Israel Parks and Nature: free guided tours at various sites. Register HERE 

Eco-Park Hadera, Spring Festival April 25, 10am - 4pm

More coming soon, as I find them!

5 ​ 6
Have a great time!

Please share this with your friends, so everyone can plan a fun and frugal Pesach!

Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

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

My go-to cake lately is chocolate cake. And it's a super simple recipe. (And more often than not, one of my kids makes it.) And it always gets compliments. AND it's vegan!

So since several people asked about it, I'm posting it here. 

The thing about this recipe is it's deep chocolate flavor. REAL dutched cocoa is the secret. If possible, don't use any other kind. And certainly don't substitute with that weird powder Israelis call chocolate for baking. It will be all wrong, so just don't, ok? Thanks!

Vegan Chocolate Cake

This recipe makes 2 cakes - 9 inch round or 8 inch square both work. Actually, this week I made it in my 8.5 inch bread pans and it was extra moist and delicious!

3 cups flour (I used 80% whole spelt, but really any flour should work)
2/3 cups dutched cocoa powder (I get it in the shuk in Teverya, I'm sure you can find it other places too. If you live near me, you can join our group orders from the store that carries them! Be in touch!)
2 cups sugar
0.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking soda

MIX all the above together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

Add:
1/3 cup oil (I use sunflower oil, but use whatever you prefer)
1 cup cold coffee (plain, unsweetened, no milk, nothing whatsover added!)
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

MIX everything together until well combined. Pour batter into lined or greased and floured pans.

Optional, but highly recommended: 1/2 bag or more of chocolate chips - sprinkled on top!

Bake at 190C for about 35 minutes (test with a toothpick before declaring them done). Cool before cutting.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

 

Shopping Finds of the Week

This post contains affiliate links. 
If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission (never at any additional cost to you)

Today I am here to admit that Aliexpress is still my friend, and here's why:

We've been having trouble finding leotards for our athletes with the sleeve length we prefer. So we ended up buying long sleeve leos, promising to alter them. But paying a seamstress to do the alteration just jacked up the cost too high. It was time to break out our own needle and thread.

The problem was - STRETCH. It's hard to sew in a way that still leaves stretch if you don't really know what you're doing, so we decided to take a different approach. We chose to do the hems with elastic thread. The only elastic I had in the house, though, were too thick for this! And the sewing store is in a different city and I didn't feel like trekking there without knowing if they'd have what I wanted. So - online shopping to the rescue!

After searching a LOT, we found this elastic sewing thread that is priced really low, arrived really quickly, and did the job well! Kudos to my daughter for sewing it herself!

Another super find was these packing organizers! They make it so much easier to stay organized while traveling. I got them for one of my kids and they have gotten so much use! And they are SUPER discounted right now, so you might want to grab them. (I definitely paid at least double!)

And lately, Aliexpress offers to combine your order into one package and ship FAST. And it WORKS!!

So those were my finds that I had to share this week! Hope you found this helpful!

What you REALLY need for Pesach

 Pesach's almost here! And the stores are getting full of special foods for Pesach. And isn't that so exciting?!
But then, you start to pile them into your shopping cart, and you suddenly realize that the cost really ADDS UP FAST. Uh oh. What about that little thing called "a budget"?

Here's the thing. Pesach is ONE week. So if you can make it one week without buying premade cakes and cookies and crackers and who knows what else, you'll save a lot of money.

There are some things you really do need for Pesach:

Matzah

Grape Juice or Wine

Maror (this can be lettuce! But I also bought a small piece of horseradish for about 6 NIS at Yesh)

Karpas (Potatoes or Celery)

Charoset (I always have to improvise this one because of my nut allergy and other family members' uncooked apple allergies. (So much fun!) Last year I made a stewed fruit charoset - chopped apples stewed with cinnamon, raisins, dates, and grape juice. I might have put some dried apricots in there but that's no longer an option for me due to another allergy popping up. It worked out well, though, so I'll probably do something similar again.)

Salt

Other basics for things you like to eat.

I make sure we have these foods available:

Chicken (whatever's on sale leading up to the holiday)

Beef if there's a good sale or if I stocked up another time and there's some in my freezer labeled Kosher for Pesach

Fish fillets if there's a good sale or if I stocked up another time and there's some in my freezer labeled Kosher for Pesach

Eggs

Oil

Butter

Jelly

Cream Cheese

Basic fruits and vegetables (including potatoes and onions because we MUST have potato kugel)

Ingredients for brownies not already listed above: potato starch, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips

If we buy tomato paste and cheese, we can make matzah pizza or matzah lasagna, so we try to make sure there's some of that around.

I like to make a HUGE vegetable soup at the beginning of the chag and use it for the chag and also several days of Chol Hamoed - this way there's food around.

I am committed to avoiding making anything that takes too much time or energy so that also will keep my expenses down.

Everything else is extra. My family really likes eating kneidlach and pesach rolls so having a couple packages of matzah meal on hand is good - but I don't personally make these anymore because my wheat allergy gets activated when I touch wheat-based products and any matzah meal dust in the air is hazardous to me...

I personally stock up at Pesach on things that are not going to contain traces of wheat at this time, but you don't need to if you don't have a reason to! So don't go crazy. 

If it's been a tough year for you financially, you can do this simply. Just make sure you have brownies on hand to keep everyone happy - make the recipe I posted and you can't go wrong! Warning: You may have to make a batch every day😀.

Do you have other "must-haves" for Pesach? Let me know!