Being your own importer: Shopping at Chinese websites

Unless you've been living under a rock this past decade or so, you're probably aware that everything, but everything, is made in China these days. From clothing to shoes to watches to electronics...chances are a decent percentage of your possessions were made there, even if you bought them somewhere else.

Until a couple of years ago, however, the Chinese goods market was open exclusively to wholesalers - unless you happened to be visiting China (and people from Israel did, and still do, take themselves and their interior designers/architects there to buy whole house contents and ship them here). With the ushering in of the online Chinese retailers, now you, too, can order goods directly from that country without getting out of your comfy chair.

Exploring the underworld: Saving (lots!) by buying lingerie online

Note: most of the stores mentioned, while they also sell men's underwear, are geared primarily towards women. Depending on your place of work and your/their personal sense of propriety, many of the sites may also be considered NSFW. Just don't say I didn't tell you :-) .

Possibly one of the more expensive items of clothing many of us women wear at any given time is our bra. This is especially true if you're the well-endowed type, are pregnant or nursing, or have had a mastectomy. Such bras purchased locally can each cost several hundred Shekels.

Women who need shapewear have a similar problem. Good quality shapewear, which, in my humble opinion, is the only type worth wearing, can also run you several hundred Shekels bought locally. Or you could take your chances with an as-seen-on-TV bodyshaper via Groupon. 

Fortunately, there are other excellent options with reasonable, fast shipping from abroad, so you shouldn't feel you need to compromise on quality at the expense of a decently-priced item.

Buying clothing and shoes online for less, Part 2

In Part 1 of how to save on clothing and shoes, we discussed local Israeli and British websites where you can find clothing at a significant discount and at equal, or even superior, quality than what's offered in the mall. Now we'll discuss a few American stores with similar qualities.

Unfortunately, many US-based apparel websites like to play petty games with their international shoppers. When they offer international shipping, it's often quite expensive, the Dollar /Shekel exchange rates they use can be significantly higher than the Bank of Israel's, and you often can't take advantage of online coupons and special offers available for Americans. There are a few US sites, however, which are, in my opinion, worth shopping at.

Buying clothing and shoes online for less, Part 1

 After food, housing and transportation, clothing and shoes is probably what eats up a good part of your monthly budget. You don't necessarily need to be a shopaholic for that to happen, either. What with clothes fading and wearing out even with the best of care, changing sizes (yours as well as the kids'), and indelible staining, sometimes you need to replace your clothes and shoes.

While I'm sure I don't need to introduce you to the concept of hand-me-downs or secondhand shops, they probably won't be sufficient for all your needs. Many of the local stores will give you just-OK quality for a rather high price; the price issue can be mitigated somewhat by using those vouchers you've received from work or by filling out online surveys, but since my husband and kids are rather rough on clothing, I'd rather pay a the same (or even less!!) for more durable clothing. So I've rounded up a small collection of stores I find are both reliable and provide good value for your money, though you may have to wait a few weeks to get your merchandise.

Where to buy books in English online for less

As a lifelong bookworm, I'm never happier than when I have a pile of new books to read and some precious time to read them. However, the books I prefer to read are, very often, not available in our local bookstores or libraries. The ones that are tend to be in stores that are very expensive, even during sales. So I often find myself ordering books in English from abroad. Over the years, I've found ways to order my books as cheaply as possible, and I'd like to share them with you.

Cheaper than your local drugstore: Buying cosmetics and toiletries online, Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we discussed large American online retailers which have a large variety of quality cosmetics and toiletries, and offer reasonable shipping rates. Now we'll discuss a few more online retailers with great shipping rates - some even free!

While the promise of free or low shipping is often accompanied by a serious hike in the items' prices to compensate, this isn't the case in the stores I'll be mentioning, and their prices are generally better than what you can find in stores here. 

Cheaper than your local drugstore: Buying cosmetics and toiletries online, Part 1

Not long ago, I was standing in line at my local branch of a large Israeli pharmacy chain (which shall remain nameless, for reasons which you will soon understand), when I overheard a conversation between two men standing behind me, in new-oleh, American-accented English.

"Look at this!" One man said to the other, eyeing the small bottle of Listerine on the shelf next to him. "I could get a huge bottle for a third of the price in CVS. Everything is so much cheaper back in the old country..." he sighed. The other nodded wryly.

I can't say I disagree. Too much of our luggage space on our rare trips back from the old country is devoted to simple drugstore items that either can't be had here at all, or economy-size packages of items that are available, but very expensive and only obtainable in small packages. While I'm the last person to encourage brand loyalty and I actually find many local brands as good, if not superior, there are still some things I'd like to have without schlepping it here or worse, having someone else do the dirty work for me. If you have parents or siblings in the old country who will, more power to you. Not all of us do, though.

Luckily, there are a few stores which both offer a wide range of cosmetics, perfumes and/or toiletry items, and are willing to ship it to us here in Israel for a not-too-exorbitant fee. You'll have to wait anywhere between a week to a month until you get your package, so keep that in mind when ordering new stock. Keep in mind that if ordering over $75 of merchandise (not including shipping), you will be required to pay 18% VAT.

Saving Money Online for Shopaholics: Cashback Programs

I've already mentioned that I'm a bit of a shopaholic. Not too much, but there are always things I need (or want) and the vast opportunities for spending money online, both in local shops and internationally, are...well, vast. We'll be going into exactly where and how to shop so as to not empty your bank account in one fell swoop in a later post, but in the meantime, let me introduce you to a concept that will help you recoup some of your losses in the long run.