Kosherfrugal.com - Frugal Living in Israel

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook:

Az Nashir- We Will Sing Again: Women's Prayers for Our Time of Need,

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

US expats: tax season is here and I have a discount for you

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.

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Americans in Israel, this is for you!

If you're an American ex-pat like me, you probably get an annual headache when thinking about filing your US tax return. What an absolute pain, am I right?

Currently, this is something most of us MUST do, even if we don't like it. There's just no getting around it for now - no matter how much we complain (maybe one day it will change!). 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.

But now there's SimpleTax, have you heard of them? 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). Basically, you upload files and answer questions, and their team will put your tax return together for you for your approval.

SimpleTax will usually save you money on fees - I've gotten multiple quotes for taxes and almost all were much higher than Simpletax.

If your taxes are complicated, you will still pay a higher rate than the lowest one listed on their site, but it will most likely still be MUCH lower than the quotes I've gotten from accountants recently.

This is a game changer.

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).

So spread the word that in 2025 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

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.

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

גם השנה, אפשר למלא דו"ח מס אמריקני עם חברת סימפלטקס - ותראו חסכון אמיתי!

אפשר לחסוך עוד יותר עם 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

Monday, March 24, 2025

Love to read? Find and support Israeli authors!

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.

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You've probably stumbled across this blog post because you love Israel, and I'm so glad you're here! Welcome to my little blog/website!

I'm currently trying to give a boost to Israeli authors - it turns out the world has been less and less likely to make space for Israeli authors on their shelves! Totally not cool. So please help support Israeli authors, and buy their books! This list is for people who can make purchases on Amazon US. Happy reading!

If you love to read, check out books by these Israeli authors that you can find on Amazon:

Hebrew Edition, by The Layers Press (Author), Rachel Sharansky Danziger (Author), Anne Gordon (Author), Shira Lankin Sheps (Editor)

101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel, by Raquel Ukeles (Author), Hezi Amiur (Author), Yoel Finkelman (Author)

The Camel in the Forest: A Memoir from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,

by A. E. Hayoun (available as a Kindle book)

By Light of Hidden Candles, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Disengagement: Leaving home, finding home, and encounters along the way, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Letters to Josep: An Introduction to Judaism, by Daniella Levy (Author)

The 36: A Modern Quest in the Ancient Holy Land, by Josh Even-Chen (Author) (a long-time friend of mine!)

The Scrolls of Deborah (Desert Songs Trilogy), by Esther Goldenberg (Author)

The House of Lost Spirits, by Einat Shimshoni

Harei At M'guyeset Li, by Segulah Levi (Hebrew novel)

Tully and the Pellmells (Tully Grows Up), by Leona Samson (Author), Idan Ben Simon (Illustrator)

Tales of Brooklyn, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Behind the Net: 106 Incredible Hockey Stories, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Community of Ones:The Search for Self after Devastating Loss, by Leona Samson

A Life Inherited: Unraveling the Trauma of a Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor, by Rena Lipiner Katz (Author)

Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders (How to Master Your Mindset, Inspire Your Team and Elevate Your Business), by Daphna Horowitz

Searching for Heather Dean: My Extraordinary Career as a Celebrity Interviewer and Why I Left It, by Heather Dean

Angels & Tahina: 18 Lessons From Hiking the Israel Trail, by Tzippi Moss

Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy – to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East, by Yonah Jeremy Bob (Author), Ilan Evyatar (Author)

Organized Jewish Life: The Essential Guide for Planning Jewish Holidays, Events and Every Day, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

Organized Jewish Life Shabbat and Holiday Planner: The Ultimate Organizational Shabbat and Jewish Holiday Checklist and Planning Workbook, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

A Warrior's Guide to Fibromyalgia, by Sara Halevi

Everything Tracker - The Ultimate Comprehensive CBT Tool Kit, by Sara Halevi MA (Author), Liora Sophie (Illustrator)

The Breast Cancer Checklist, by Fern Reiss

The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days, by Fern Reiss

30 Jewish Superheroes: An Amazing Collection of Jewish Superheroes (Coloring book), by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet Hashachar Penrod (Editor)

15 B'nei Noah Superheroes Coloring & Activity Book: Heroes from Around the World! | Color, Read, and Learn to Draw Your Own Hero, Torah Comics Paperback by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor)

Inner World (Kindle book) by Hillel Penrod (Author, Illustrator), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor)

Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land, by Joel Chasnoff & Benji Lovitt

Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar (Modern Jewish Lives), by Yael Unterman

The Hidden of Things: Twelve Stories of Love & Longing, by Yael Unterman

The Street Cats of Nahariya by Jennifer Pyatt (Author), Aya Navot (Illustrator)

White Zion, by Gila Green (see all of her books here, and pre-order the newest one!)

Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls, by Aliza Lavie (Author)

Getting Ready for Shabbat! Let's Make Soup! (Getting Ready for Jewish Holy Days), by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

Girls' Names from the Hebrew Bible: A Children's Bilingual (Hebrew-English) Coloring Book, by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

The Adventures of Incredi-Wheels & Triple S: The Mysterious Missing Book, by Rebecca Rubin Seligson

Storky's Journey Home, by Nachshon Meir Spiegelman

Barnaby Stump and the Soul Thief, by Ezra Snukal

The Lazy Investor: How to Set a Profitable & Hassle-free Investment Portfolio, by David Mann (Author)

Tribal Lands: The Twelve Tribes of Israel in Their Ancestral Territories, by Tamar Weissman (Author)

The Koren Tanakh: Esther (English and Hebrew Edition) (Graphic Novel Format) by Jordan Gorfinkel (Creator), Yael Nathan (Illustrator), Jessica Sacks (Translator)

Not in the Sky: A Collection of Modern Midrash or Biblical Spoken Word, by Rose Isabel Tempest (Author)

THE CAVE OF THE HEART (Kuntres Maarat Ha-Lev): A Treatise on Jewish Contemplative Prayer, by Nachman Davies (Author)

Ascending, by Mimi Tanaman

Lost & Found: The person I was. The discovery of adoption. The person I've become, by Mimi Tanaman

The Messianic Mechanic: a comic tale of the end-of-days, by Reva Mann

Want to buy books in Israel? Check if you can find what you want at Eva's Used Books or Steimatzky! There's also Prag for a new agey kind of book selection - but they do also have R' Aryeh Kaplan translated into Hebrew.

If you are an Israeli author with a book on Amazon and want to be added to this list, please email me at ester@kosherfrugal.com!

Thanks for supporting Israeli authors! Let me know if you found this list helpful, and feel free to share it with all of your friends!

Also, please be sure to support all the businesses in the North of Israel if you're visiting. Many have been struggling to survive since the onset of the war in October 2023. Now that things are quiet - everyone needs your support!

Come find me and my family at the Safed Puzzle Room, Tzfat's flagship escape room game! Find out more at https://safedpuzzleroom.com

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook:

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Sunday, March 2, 2025

You may be able to ship furniture to Israel from Amazon FOR FREE...

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

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Shoppers in Israel, and probably many other non-US locations, this is for you! I was really curious about this - can you get FURNITURE shipped to you from the US?

Surprise! There are lots of great deals on furniture that ship here FOR FREE. I found a cute kids' fold-out couch-bed (and right now there are double discounts on it - I found a coupon here - no promises that will still be there when you click) that qualifies for free shipping. I also found a solid wood child's stool (there's a coupon for that right now too!), and animal-themed stackable children's chairs!

TABLES: I found a 2-tiered square white end table, and another one, as well! I also found a rectangular farmhouse style end table. And this one is also rectangular, but has a more whimsical feel to it. Also found a 3-tiered table for close to the same price. And if you prefer round side tables, I found some of those too: this one is small. This one is a 2-tiered metal round table, with a great coupon when I saw it! All of these are super affordable compared to what I've seen around here in local stores!

More deals later, sorry I ran out of time!

EDITING TO ADD MORE:

I found a queen-size bedframe that ships free here and currently has a coupon that basically covers the import taxes! Here's a bookshelf/storage cube unit for an unbeatable price! (And this one appears to be a little bigger for only a little bit more $)

I also found a toddler book organizer - I've seen similar in local stores, but they can't TOUCH this price!

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Food vouchers from Misrad Hapnim

To combat food insecurity in Israel, Misrad Hapnim is distributing hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of food vouchers right now (February 2025). Many people have been automatically admitted to the program through their revacha services, but some eligible people may not be on the list.

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If you think you might be eligible but aren't on a list to receive it, check out the Eligibility Simulator at https://govforms.gov.il/mw/forms/PopulationWithOutMunicipalityGalilArea@MOIN.gov.il

After checking the simulator, clicking on the "Next Stage" button will take you to the "Submit Request" page. If you don't want to submit a request, don't click Next. If you do want to submit a request, be sure you have the required documentation available (a scan of your Teudat Zehut, including the "sefach", and income documentation).

Hope this helps someone out there get extra help when they need it! Feel free to share this post with anyone who might find it helpful!

If you need more financial assistance, you may find these posts helpful:
Click here to see posts labeled "financial assistance": https://www.kosherfrugal.com/search/label/financial%20assistance

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook:

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Cashback sites for Israeli shoppers

This post contains referral and/or affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase or register, I may receive a payment or commission or something of the sort, but it will never cost you extra!

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

If you're here you probably shop online, right?

And you probably like to save money, right?

So here are some great ways to save:

Cashback sites you should know about:

Rakuten (may require a US-based Paypal account) - you will be eligible for a $30 bonus when you use my referral link (click here)

Cashdo - another cashback site, this one is Israel-based. You can use it to get cashback at Superpharm online and Steimatzky, and other Israeli websites, including Lastprice, Delta, and Hamashbir and many more. Definitely worth checking out!

Cashback.co.il - Another Israel-based site. If you sign up now using this link, you'll get a 10 shekel bonus in your account! This site has a lot of Israeli websites available, and some international ones too.

Hope this helps you keep more money in your pocket!

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook:

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Deals I found today!

Sometimes, I go to supermarket websites and only decide to actually place an order if I find a GREAT sale on something that justifies the 30 NIS delivery fee.

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Usually, I do this on Saturday nights, but for some reason, today I decided to check, even though it's Thursday.

And that, my friends, is how I found this markdown:

As you can see, the Carmel "Excellence" wines are marked down to 9.90 NIS! You might know that if I buy wine, I really really don't buy expensive wines -- not that I have a problem with anyone who does, it's just not a priority in my budget, so I don't. Anyhow, once I found that wine price and justified my purchase, I looked around for other good prices and placed an order.

I didn't actually find that many super awesome markdowns besides the wine, but here are some of the ones I found:

Small packs of tomato paste, 8 for 7.70 NIS - under 1 NIS! This made me feel nostalgic for the early days of our Aliyah journey, when I routinely found tomato paste for under 1 NIS each...

They also had several vegetables for under 5 NIS/kilo, which is getting harder to find around here.

They also had several fruits for under 4 NIS/kg.

And they had Noam cheese deeply discounted - 10 NIS off the regular price!

Did you find other great deals?

Let me know!

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: