Eating out for less

Going out to eat is not normally considered an especially frugal activity. And you know what? It isn't.  The (usually American) hobby of going out to eat at McDonald's twice a week because nobody in the house could be bothered to cook, or frequent ordering of a latte and a sandwich on your lunch break at the café near your work, can be a huge and unnecessary financial drain (even if said café is Cofix. Those 5-Shekel coffees really add up over time!). And that's without even mentioning the negative health ramifications of eating fast food on a regular basis.

However, there is definitely a time and place for eating out even for frugal people, assuming you're not currently in serious financial dire straits. Meeting up with friends from out of town occasionally, celebrating a family member's birthday or your wedding anniversary - all those are great reasons to dine out in a nice restaurant, enjoying the food and the ambiance. Doing it at at a discount ? Even better.

They've arrived! Israeli cashback sites

 3% cashback for flying El Al? 4% for your purchases through Groupon?

You just knew this was going to happen eventually, didn't you?

So far, I've mentioned American and British-based cashback websites and how they can save you money on your online purchases abroad (and if you're unfamiliar with the idea of cashback, I highly recommend you go read the post about it before reading this one). It was only a matter of time before some enterprising Israelis decided to import the concept here.

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.

How to save on outings with the kids

It's that time of the year again - Chol Hamoed , Chanukah, or the end of August when summer camp is over, the neighborhood pool is getting boring and the whole family needs a change of scenery and some quality time together. So you pack your family into the car, stop for gas and get cash at the Caspomat, hoping you'll still have some of it (gas and cash) by the time you get home.

While there's no way not to spend *any* money if you want to go anywhere beyond walking distance, there are ways to mitigate the expense:

How to use Groupons wisely

Who doesn't love a good deal? More importantly, what Israeli (even if they're Anglo) wants to be a frier and pay full price for anything?

Since 2009, when the concept of online group purchasing first reached our shores from the US, Israelis have been able to enjoy the deep discounts offered on a variety of items and services at the many, many  websites of this type, the archetype of which is Groupon Israel. There are even coupon sites for specific sectors of the Israeli public, such as Group-E for the religious, Mamibuy for parents of young children and Anglo Deals for us English speakers.

Initially, these websites engendered a lot of enthusiasm, which caused much frivolous spending and more than one missed opportunity to actually use all the vouchers we'd purchased. Every day, we'd get numerous emails from the various coupon sites we'd signed up for, cluttering our inbox and dangling tantalizing deals for more and more stuff. But eventually, it all just seemed like too much. After a few months, I heard various friends of mine say they'd unsubscribed and given up using Groupons, because they were spending way too much on things they really didn't need.

Well, because - by my own previous admission - I have shopaholic tendencies of my own, I realized some ground rules needed to be established for the sake of my sanity and bank account. Here's what I came up with that works for me; I'd love to hear how you use Groupons to your best advantage in the comments.