Setting up a dorm room

 This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, but it will never be at an additional cost to you!

Dorm supplies. Isn't it so much fun to have a child heading off to a dorm? Really, it's great that they're starting to spread their wings and taking that first step towards not living in their parents' home anymore. Right?

Don't get me wrong, I miss my kids who don't live at home full time! A lot! But I also know that it's time for them to figure out their next stages. And that's exciting!

When our first kid moved out, we helped him out with some of the basics. From a down blanket for cold Jerusalem nights, to pots and pans and potholders... And I think we even may have helped him find a Shabbat urn!

If you're helping someone setting up a dorm room or a student apartment, you probably want to focus on keeping your costs down and making sure the supplies you get are easy to move (they tend to move frequently) and can be rearranged if needed. I like modular storage units (like this 9-cube one, or this 15-cube one). And for hanging and other storage, I've seen lots of people opting for fabric closets with poles (this one is smaller, and this one is also a great price).

If you can install things onto the walls, this folding desk and this folding table set (includes two chairs) are great space savers!

Dorm sheets - I prefer 100% cotton sheets, and I've found some super low cost sets!

I also equipped my students with a spare mattress so they'd be able to let a sibling/cousin/friend crash if needed! We went with inflatable mattresses because when they're not being used, they take up very little space. I recommend one that comes with a pump or has a built-in pump.

Of course there's always more to buy, but I managed to get some stainless steel flatware someone was giving away, and since it was all stainless steel, it was easy to kasher! I also let my kids just help themselves to our overflowing collection of mugs and coffee cups. You don't actually have to buy everything brand new! 

Let me know what your best tips are, or if you're looking for something in particular!

I hope this helps some of you out there! 

Please share this information with your friends and family who may benefit from it!

Don't miss out on useful tips and tricks for living in Israel! Follow me on FB and join my Kosher Frugal group! Let me know what you want me to post about!

New discount code for iHerb! הנחה חדשה באייהרב

This post contains affiliate or rewards program links. This means I may receive a small commission if you click on a link and place an order, never at any additional cost to you

עברית למטה

iHerb's got a great deal available right now - Get 15% off your order of 200 ILS and up for the Summer Wellness Sale! Click here to start shopping, and the code will automatically load into your cart (or use my rewards code QEJ101 and promo code ILJULSW at checkout)

THIS CODE EXPIRES TODAY!

Happy savings!

Other sales you might want to check:

Brands of the week - use this link to get discounts when you purchase any products from the 16 brands of the week!

Click here to find all the current Specials - up to 65% off!

Sales change all the time! I'll try to find more codes and update when I can!

TIP: Get free shipping if you order $65 USD or more, but keep your order total under $75 to avoid taxes and import fees.

קבלו 15% הנחה על כל אתר של אייהרב בקנייה של 200 ש"ח ומעלה!

(או הכניסו את הקודים QEJ101 ו ILJULSW לפני התשלום!)

הקוד בתוקף עד 8.07.2026

רק וודאו שהסל הסופי יוצא ללא מיסים - צריך להיזהר מאוד שאחרי הקודים הסל יורד למתחת ל$75 - סף המע"מ

(ולרוב גם תקבלו משלוח חינם עם גלובל אייר לוקר עם מוסיפים מוצרים כדי שסכום הרכישה

יגיע ל$65)!

במקרה ואתם מעדיפים לקנות מאתר ישראלי, אני ממליצה לבדוק את מבחר הויטמינים של קי.אס.פי!

תהינו!

iHerb is one of my favorite ways to find products that I can't get in Israel. Or products that may be available in Israel, but at inflated prices.

Need some ideas for your iHerb order?

Here are just a few things I recommend - several of these are eligible for the extra discount! I'd love to hear what your favorites are:

Teas

Witch Hazel Toner 

Vitamin E Moisturizing Cream 

Plant-based (coconut milk based) Caramel 

Hand Sanitizer (great size for your bag!)

Lip balm 

Concentrated Laundry Detergent 

Unscented Compostable Dryer Sheets

Witch Hazel Cleansing Pads 

Stridex acne control pads 

Cocoa Butter Lotion 

Dental Floss 

Pain Relief Cream (herbal) (the athletes in my house like this one a lot) 

Aspercreme pain relief products (conventional)

Makeup Remover

Aquaphor 

Scar gel

Maple Syrup Granules 

Made Good Granola Bars (allergy friendly!)

Cheddar Cheese Powder

Your order of $60 and up will usually qualify for FREE Global Air Locker shipping!

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 website, 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. Best to ship to a different name using a different ID for customs, so you can order it all on the same day.
• Always look for the free shipping option - usually, it's to a pickup spot.

I love to see how close to $75 I can get without going over, and get free delivery to maximize savings while avoiding import taxes!

Enjoy and happy savings!

If you prefer to buy from Israeli sites - check out KSP's selection of Vitamin products!

Tips to avoid getting scammed

Have you gotten an email or text about "an order" of yours that's waiting for payment of some trivial amount? Or that has to clear customes?

Maybe you've received a text message telling you that your account is in danger of suspension and you must verify your details? Or maybe an email asking you to click a link? Or asking you to sign in to see something you don't think you should have to sign in to see?

Or one of the many other messages that people are getting out there?

BE CAREFUL. Many Israelis are getting scammed and find their credit cards compromised after clicking one of these messages!

How can you tell if that message is a scam/phishing message? Here are some tips:

Spelling mistakes in the URL - don't click! 

Look carefully at the picture above with screenshots of actual text messages I've received - that link that is supposedly from Israel Post is from "Israeilpost.com" - which is NOT the Israel Post URL!

Don't trust short links or unofficial-looking links:

Always go through official websites when you need customer service, tech support, or to authorize changes to your account. This applies to your bank, credit cards, postal services, and even websites you shop on. Look in the picture above - at least one link is "tinyurl" link, another is a "rebrand.ly" link. Big Red Flag.

 

Verify links first:

Legitimate websites use the url you know for that site. The post office does not send out short links! Neither does your bank. When in doubt, go directly to the website (or app) you think the message came from, and log in on your own. A legitimate request will show up when you log in. If you got a text message telling you to pay a customs fee, but you can't see the fee and information about it when you track your package, it's a scam. Same goes for resetting your bank account password. If you log in to your account and there's no message there, the text/email you got was almost certainly a scam!

Urgent messages should make you wary:

Scammers will often try to get you to act quickly. They'll tell you that you must pay within X number of hours, or that your account will be closed in X amount of time if you don't act quickly. If they manage to make you feel panicked, you're more likely to give out sensitive information. So always take the time to double and triple check before you click on that link or agree to reset your account. If the message seems out of the blue AND urgent, be wary! See the picture above - one of the messages says that your package will be returned to sender if you don't pay! If you really owe taxes, this won't be the way you get this message.

Same goes for phone calls!

If someone calls you and urges you to pay a fee over the phone with your credit card, even if they seem to know who you are, don't pay! Call the number you have for the contact person you work with at that company (it's often an insurance scam, so call your insurance agent, or whichever company they claim to be from) and speak with them directly so you know you're speaking to a legitimate person and not a scammer.

A friend called asking you to wire money because they're stuck overseas without money? 

Phone numbers and voices can be cloned. If your friend is truly overseas and stuck, chances are they won't be calling you. If you're concerned about a friend overseas and you can't reach them when you call them, you can get in touch with the embassy in that country or a trusted contact there, who can check on your friend. DON'T WIRE MONEY because of a phone call. Always find a way to verify the person is who you think they are before you agree to send any money! It's really truly rare that any request for you to urgently wire money is actually legit. So my bottom line is BE WARY!

Did someone you've got saved into your contacts reach out to you and ask for a verification code for WhatsApp (or any other app) that was sent to YOUR phone? DON'T answer. They've likely been hacked and the hacker is not trying to take control of YOUR whatsapp! NEVER share codes like this. There is no reason someone else needs YOUR verification code, unless you've authorized them to access your account (but why would you?). So be very, very wary. 

Personally, I just got what looked like an evite. But when I clicked to see the event I was being invited to, it wanted me to sign in with my email. It even displayed a "gmail sign in page" but the URL was very suspicious. So I closed the link and didn't sign in and then verified with the evite sender - and yes, she said she had been hacked! So don't sign in to things you don't think you should be asked to sign in to.

My thoughts about scammers:

Scammers are theives. They prey on people in whatever way they think they'll get you to part with your money or your sensitive information! That doesn't mean you can't still help a friend in need, or give tzedaka! Just be sure to do this in a way that you're sure your money will get where you intend it to go. 

Hope you found this helpful! I'd love to hear from you! Be sure to join my Facebook group and we can be in touch there! 

 

Maanak Avodah 2025 - Reminder to Apply!

It's time for your yearly reminder to check if you might be able to claim this benefit! Maybe you've heard about this already, and maybe this is new information for you. There is a reverse-tax benefit in Israel for low-income families. It's called the "Maanak Avodah" or "Work Grant". The point of this grant is to put more money in your pocket if you earn less than a certain amount of money!

Please don't miss out on this if you qualify - apply as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment later. It won't take much of your time to apply, and you can do it now, BEFORE YOU FORGET! Right now, you can may still be able to apply for the 2024 grant as well!
  
Updated information for the 2024 grant: 
Who can apply for this grant?

You can apply for this grant if: 

1. You were employed or self-employed
 
2. You were 21 years of age or older, and have minor children*, or 55 years of age or above, even if you have no minor children
 
3. You did not own more than 50% of a property or rights to a property (anywhere in the world) in the 2025 tax year, other than your primary residence
 
4. If you have one or two children, or are age 55+ without children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,450 and 7,289 you may be eligible for this grant. If you are a single parent of 1-2 children (with custody of your minor children), your average monthly income must fall between 1,510 and 11,190 NIS to qualifyץ
 
5. If you have 3 or more children, and your average monthly income falls between 2,450 NIS and 8,020 NIS, you may be eligible for this grant. If you are a single parent of 3 or more children (with custody), you may qualify if your income is between 1,510 and 13,660 NIS per month.

6. If any of your children are below the age of 3, you may qualify for an additional grant.

*children who are counted are those who are under the age of 19 as of 31/12/2023

How do you apply? 

Online, using the Israeli tax website - this form lets you apply for this year and last year

OR
At the post office, where you'll need to answer a few questions. BE SURE to bring your teudat zehut (ID card) and either your checkbook or an "ishur" from your bank that you have an account with them. Please keep any paperwork you receive at the post office and/or in the mail. (This option only allows you to apply for 2025, whereas online you may still be able to apply for the previous year).

If you have questions after you've applied, or to check the status of your application, you can check the status of your request online in your "eizor ishi", or call *4954 or or 02-565-6400 to speak with the Tax Authority. 

Your payment may arrive in anywhere from 1-4 installments.

Deadline for applications:

At the post office: December 12, 2026

Online: December 31, 2027

How much can you expect to receive? 

The amount you receive will vary depending on your circumstances.

Your spouse's income may affect your eligibility, as may various other factors.

I hope this helps some of you out there! It's worth it to check if you are eligible.

Please share this information with your friends and family who may benefit from it!

Don't miss out on useful tips and tricks for living in Israel! Follow me on FB and join my Kosher Frugal group! Let me know what you want me to post about!

Clothing Deals!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, but it will never be at an additional cost to you!

(for illustrative purposes only)

MORE FINDS WERE ADDED TODAY (JUNE 21, 2026)!!

SKIRTS and DRESSES! And other great finds for modest dressers...    

Skirt wearers, you know how it goes - we all need a bunch of comfy, basic skirts that are versatile, classic, and easy to deal with.

I've found that sometimes the Amazon 3-pack deals are the PERFECT solution! Just choose the right size and you're good to go with 3 skirts in different colors!

Here are some of the options I found with free shipping (although sometimes free shipping is limited to a certain size, so be sure to check carefully before you order):

3-Pack Women's 20" Golf Skirts Knee Length Skorts with Pockets - for most people, these are probably a little above the knee. But if you're under 5-ft tall (I know some who are!) these may even be true knee length!

3-Pack Women's Maxi Long Skirts with Pockets, A-Line Ankle Length - Also POCKETS!!

Want a dress with pockets? I found some of those for you, too. 

Short Sleeve Dress with Pockets 

Elbow Sleeve flowy dress with pockets

3/4 Sleeve Bohemian style dress with pockets 

And if you don't care about the pockets, you might want to see this long 3/4 sleeve belted dress!

Cotton tops:

3-pack cotton shirts with pretty sleeves 

3-pack cotton ribbed shirts 

3-pack elbow length sleeve ribbed shirts with ruffled edging

Skorts:

24" flower print skorts with pockets! 

3-pack boys' sweatpants 

3-pack toddler sweatpants 

3-pack 100% cotton t-shirts for babies and kids 

3-pack 100% cotton baby sleeper pajamas

More finds coming soon!

Hope this helps someone out there!

Want more deals? Join my groups!

• Great Deals Israel WhatsApp group
• Kosher Frugal Facebook Group
• Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) Facebook Group
• Live in Israel. Shop Online Facebook Group

SimpleTax - US taxes for expats in Israel

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.

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?

But look at that! It's June, and it's time to deal with your US taxes if you're among those people who can't get out of it 😜. For Israelis who file US taxes, 2025 US tax paperwork is due September 15, I believe. 

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 - create an account, upload your documents, fill in some information, and their staff will take over from there!

SimpleTax will usually save you money on fees compared to other services. This is a game changer. 

If your taxes are complicated, you'll 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.

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 this year, we'll all 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

10 NIS movies - Israeli Movie Day!

Israeli Movie Day is tomorrow, June 17!

Here's the list of participating theaters:

The Israeli movies being screened are:

And local friends, YES, Matnas Katzrin is on the list of participating theaters, but I don't see a movie on the schedule for tomorrow! I have no idea what's up with that.

I recommend you check your local theater for listings and times, and find a good movie to go to!

UPDATED TODAY!!! Import taxes for online purchases: Everything you need to know

Impact-Site-Verification: c6a92aaa-9c12-40bb-80fe-62822d0c5c95

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package from purchase abroad - tax free!

Do you live in Israel? 

Are you wondering what to expect regarding taxes and fees if you shop online?

This guide will help you understand the basics that apply to residents  of Israel when shopping online from overseas (yes, even if you're not a citizen, you need to know how your orders will be handled!). 

Most of us shop this way to save money, so who wants a tax bill surprise when the order gets here? This post will help you avoid a tax bill (legally, of course!).

Note: the same regulations apply to packages sent from abroad, even if they are gifts!

Some of my favorite websites to shop from are:

Amazon ~ iHerb ~ AliExpress ~ eBay ~

SHOP the USA and SHIP Worldwide with MyUS! 

Here's the rundown (full regulations can be found on the Israel tax authority's site

The current tax exempt limit is $75 USD

When you get a package, the value of your purchase or package will be converted into US Dollars by the tax authority (using the official exchange rate that you can find here: https://www.gov.il/he/service/exchange-rate) to determine if it's subject to tax.

Purchases up to $75/Packages with a declared value up to $75 - no taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value $75 and up, up to $500 - VAT will apply in most cases (18% currently), and Purchase Tax (variable rates) may apply (purchase tax applies to very few items at this point!), but no customs taxes

Purchases or packages with a declared value over $500 - subject to all taxes (VAT of 18%, Purchase Tax (if applicable), and Customs Tax which varies by category)

Please note that purchases and packages (even gifts) of up to $75 in value will almost automatically be subject to customs clearance fees if they arrive using an EMS service*, and some other types of deliveries may also be charged this fee (it's about 40 shekels right now). If the value of the purchase is higher than $75, the customs clearance fee can be higher as well.

Other fees are often added on by shipping companies, and there is not much oversight on the matter. I once saw a bill that included the following fees: Handling Fee, Import Approval Fee, VAT, Computer Fee, Unloading Fee, Storage Fee. Watch out for these fees from shipping companies/courier services - I recommend you always arrange to get your packages via a service that guarantees your fees have all been prepaid.

Please be aware that the purchase price only (not purchase + shipping) will determine whether an item will be taxed. If it is deemed taxable, all applicable taxes will be calculated on the purchase price + the shipping price. This means that if you order something for $75.01 plus $15 shipping, you will be taxed on the total value of $90.01!

One more important point: If you order multiple orders addressed to the same person, with the same address & phone number listed, from the same seller and they arrive within 72 hours of each other, customs may combine the orders and treat them as one purchase for tax purposes, or they may not. But it is a possibility you should be aware of before you place multiple orders. 

I recommend ordering at least 3 days apart, or ordering with different names and contact info (including the tax ID number you provide for clearing customs).

Note about Amazon orders, when the option to order comes back: you do not have to wait 3 days to place another order. You can order all you want, just keep each individual order below the taxable threshold.

Tracking your item is possible! Often you'll see updates on the website you ordered from. I recommend you create an account on Israel Post - you can see updates there if your order is being processed by them! If your order is stalled for a long time, reach out to the seller and see if they can help you. I've found this to be very effective!

If your order is stuck in customs, or if you feel like you were charged tax by mistake, you will need to file an appeal. The appeal form is on the Meches site: https://www.gov.il/he/service/return-on-personal-import-taxes

Some of these regulations are different from what some people seem to believe, so please refer back to this guide if you are about to place an order and you're not sure what to expect taxwise.

Join my WhatsApp group and my Facebook Group where I'll be posting my favorite deals!

*Examples of EMS services - Express Mail, Fedex, UPS and other express delivery services. Sometimes DHL is EMS and sometimes it is not.