You're intrerested in saving money, right? Of course you are, why else would you come to the minusPLUS website? Well, we know that everyone loves a top ten list. So we're delighted to kick off our article archive with our first ever list: The Top Ten Ways to Save Money in Israel.

Tip #1: Don't go shopping as an activity

Come on, how many of you every once in awhile think: waht am I going to do today with the kids? I know, I'll take them to the mall! We won't buy anything, of course. Just window shop. Right... Here's what really happens: you go to the mall to get a slice of pizza. Along the way you see a pair of shoes that really speak to you. NIS 150 on sale. Wow! Then your five-year-old demands to be taken on his favorite bouncing helicopter ride. Only a few shekels, you think. But then he demands another. And how can you say no? Pizza was a good idea, but what about drinks? And as it's coming up on Hanukah time, how can you refuse a couple of sufganiot? You get the picture. Before you know it, you've spent a few hundred shekels you never would have spent in a less "tempting" activity.

Tip #2: Live within your means - buy only what you can afford rather than on payment plans

This is the credo of everything we teach at minusPLUS. If you can't afford it, don't buy it. Payment plans are as tempting as the aforementioned sufganiot. Ten payments of only 50 shekels - that doesn't seem like too much. But it's still 500 shekels...500 shekels you didn't have budgeted. Here's an extreme example, but it's one we've had to live with ourselves. Our dishwasher broke two months ago. We didn't have the repair costs budgeted. We could have gone further into overdraft. But instead we put off the repairs until the money was there. My husband Brian has to do more dishes. He grumbles, but he knows it's the right thing to do.

Tip #3: Take care of what you have

We have a decent collection of CDs. Both music and CD-ROM games for the kids' computer. But the kids sometimes leave their CDs out of their cases. More than once, something has spilled on the CD - food or drink. Another time, Brian accidentally dropped a CD and ran over it with the rolling chair in our office. Guess what? We had to replace those CDs. What a waste! If only we'd taken care of what we had, that expense would be saved, our things would last longer and we'd spend less. You know, my grandmother always told me "you've got to take care of your teeth. If you do, they'll last you a lifetime." I listened. And to this day, I actually love going to the dentist because I get such positive reinforcement.

Tip #4: Wear it out

In keeping with the previous tip, let me ask you this: how often do you replace your car? Once every few years? Of do you keep it up, keept it in really good shape, get all the check-ups it needs, and then drive it until it wears out? OK, maybe the jury is out on the economies of replacing cars. But what about your clothes? Are you compelled to buy an entirely new wardrope every year? Or do you wear things until they're done and dead? I know that doesn't make you the most fashion savvy in town. But when you're trying to save, keeping up with the Cohens is not always the smartest strategy. If all else fails, think about your kids. You got it: hand-me-downs. Most kids don't mind. And it makes great financial sense. Bottom line: take care of your things and then pass them down until they wear out.

Tip #5: Fix it Yourself

This might not be for everyone. But there are those among us - and I'm one of them - who are born handymen or women. Or at least we enjoy trying! Most of the time, we succeed. Take plumbing. Our showerhead broke. Twice. The first time we called the plumber and he fixed it for us. For a few hundred shekels. But I watched what he was doing and realized it wasn't that hard. So the next time, I tried myself. And guess what? It worked! I saved the money and had fun. I'm sure you can think of lots of places where you can hammer or stitch or plaster or paint it yourself. In addition to the money you'll save, you'll feel great!

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You know what...this has gone on for longer than I expected when I started writing the article and I don't want to wear out your patience. So with your permission, I'll post the final five - the rest of our Top Ten Ways to Save Money in Israel - in a subsequent article.

BTW - the source for many of these great tips is the late Joe Dominguez, author of Your Money or Your Life, one of the books we recommend in our "Overcoming Overdraft" course. Joe actually lists over 100 different money-saving tips. We picked out what we thought were the most suited to Israeli life, and added some of our own as well.

If you're a parent, what's the first thing you think of when the holidays roll around? Well, maybe it's menu planning. Or who's coming for chag. But I'm going to guess that the big question - and it doesn't matter whether it's Sukkot, Hanukah or Pesach - is: what are you going to do with the kids.

That's right, holidays mean school vacations. Long ones. And if you've got smaller children, they need to be occupied. Hey, even bigger children can drive you to distraction if you don't have some activities planned.

Now, let me add an even tougher question. What are you going to do with the kids that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Don't tell me you're just going to stick the kids in front of the TV - we all know how our kids quickly turn into boob-tube zombies after the 17th straight hour of Mary Kate and Ashley videos.

You don't have to go into overdraft to keep your kids from murdering each other - or you from murdering them. But you do have to remember the most important rule: plan your week out in advance. That's right - it's the same guideline I recommend in my classes for when you go grocery shopping or when you make your monthly budget. Know what you're going to do and then stick to it.

Let me give you an example from the most recent school vacation. Apply this to the upcoming Pesach holiday.

We decided for example that this year we could affort to budget real money on only one activity during the week. In our case, it was the zoo. We love the Tisch Family Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem where we live. We even used to have an annual family membership - which can be a really good deal if you make it your "second backyard."

So what about the rest of the week? Well, on the second day of vacation, we took the kids to the "Mifletzet" - the wild monster sculpture in Jerusalem's Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood which has slides for tongues. We packed a picnic lunch and fortunately the weather was accomodating. No charge at all, other than the gas to get there by car. No matter where you live in the country, there's usually a decent park and picnic site not to far a drive away.

On our third day off, we did the unthinkable: we went to the Mall. I know, I know, I teach in my classes never go shopping as an "activity." But you can bend this a bit if you lay down strict rules ahead of time. We were going to "look," not buy. Remarkably, the kids were into it. And the malls in Israel usually put on all kinds of shows during the holidays at little or no cost to draw in the customers.

Our only splurge - we got one sweet treat for everyone. Not a full burger meal. Just dessert. And even then we shoppd around. Ne'eman was charging too much for rugelach. But the bakery across the way had a deal. Although we didn't sample both, the cheaper baker was still better than the supermarket variety.

The next day we went to the English library in Ramot. JELLY - the Jerusalem English Language Library for Youth - was putting on a whole day of activities - ongoing story hours, arts and crafts and even a short musical performance. We packed lunches again and ended up the day going to the "Porcupine Park" in Ramot which has swings and beautiful views. Cost: absolutely zero.

Finally, we set aside one afternoon for a family project. We had taken a family trip to Europe last summer on the way to visit family in the States (free stopovers on European carriers are a great and inexpensive way to build in extra vacation time). So I bought a photo album that can be used as a scrapbook. We had saved ticket stubs and menus and maps. Brian led the whole family in laying out the assorted items. Other than the cost of the album (which we needed anyway), it was another free activity. We ended the day by letting the kids watch a video.

Would our kids have loved to have gone to Kiftzuba - the big play park with go-carts and Lego and jumping towers? Sure. Would they also have enjoyed taking in a kids' performance at the Jerusalem Theater? Absolutely. But we made our plan, stuck to our budget, and no one dired of boredom by the end of the week.

If I told you that you could give yourself a personal pay raise, would you be excited? Well, that's exactly waht happens when you save money. You're adding to your family's bottom line. But it takes hard work. I try to think about saving money as a part-time job. If I do a good job at "work," I get "paid" for my efforts.

How much is this job worth? Let me tell you about seven seemingly little things that save me NIS 440 a month. That's just about $100. Or think about it as a $1200 a year "raise."

1. Save money on long distance calls.

Comparison shop the long distance companies to get the best deal to the numbers/countries you call most often. And if you're already paying your Internet Service Provider for email service (which I assume you are if you're reading this newsletter!), write email letters overseas instead of calling as often as possible.

My monthly savings: NIS 30.

2. Stay on top of your internet provider's rates.

As long as we're talking about the Internet, I ahve to tell you about one of my biggest savings. Just by calling my Internet Service Provider, I was able to lower our monthly rate first from a whopping NIS 171 to NIS 121, and then down to NIS 89. How? The ISPs are always running a sale. But they will not contact you about any new deals. You must contact them.

My monthly savings: NIS 82.

3. Monitor insurance rates.

Are you getting the best deal on your auto, life and homeowner's insurance? Check out this site which has links to all the big Israeli insurance companies: http://www.tapuz.co.il/index/proceed.asp?c=811. It allows consumers to compare coverage and prices. If you currently have insurance policies with several different companies, see if discounts are available for consolidating all of your policies with one insurer. By comparing costs I was able to save NIS 500 on my household policy alone this year.

My monthly savings: NIS 42.

4. Cut your children's hair.

One of my children actually prefers that I cut his hair rather than going to a barber. And I enjoy the creative experience. I cut his hair every 5-6 weeks. At the barber we use, that haircut used to be NIS 50 a pop.

My monthly savings: NIS 33.

5. Move your child to a neighborhood school.

This might not apply to you, but it worked out big time for us. We moved our daughter from a non-neighborhood/semi-private school to the public elementary school across the street. The local school is quite wonderful. Plus we saved on an expensive "hasa'a" (transportation)...not to mention the higher school fees. And now our daughter has all her friends right here in the neighborhood.

My monthly savings: NIS 220.

6. Get online with your bank.

Here's something the banks actually want you to do - use the Internet to check your statement instead of using the machine in the bank to print out a copy. Because you can check whenever you want in the privacy of your own home, you'll catch errors much more easily and get fees reimbursed to you. Finally, you'll receive 1% more interest on any savings plans you set up yourself via the Internet.

My monthly savings: up to NIS 13

7. Purchase an EZPark from the post office.

If you find yourself driving a lot and overfeeding the meters because you're guessing at how long you'll be, invest the NIS 100 to buy the new computerized EZPark machine. Then when you park, you just turn it on and off with the press of a button so you get charged only for the exact amount of time you were out.

My monthly savings: NIS 20

Total savings, as I said before: NIS 440 every month. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. If you haven't done so already, sign up today for the next "Overcoming Overdraft" course or private coaching where you'll learn about these and hundreds more tips and tricks on how to give yourself a personal pay raise.

"I want that! Oooh...look at that one, can we have it too?"

We had taken our five year old, Aviv, to the toy store to replace a gift he had received for Hanukah. Before we went, we told him upfront that we were just replacing the toy and he'd already received his presents. But that didn't stop him from freely expressing his opinion.

"OK, for my birthday, I want a basketball with a hoop, a bank, a really big Beyblade and, Imma, can we buy this too?"

We don't know how it happened, but our youngest child became our biggest consumer. So we figured it was time to start teaching him more deeply about money. And what better time than during the holiday gift-giving season that pumped his own consumerism into a frenzy?

By the way, we should count our blessings living in this part of the world. That's because the average Israeli spends only around NIS 50 per child for gifts. While that can certainly add up (let's see, ten kids, that's NIS 500), it's nothing compared to our counterparts in North America where, according to a fascinating article I read recently in the Jerusalem Post, average spending on holiday gift giving is a whopping $750 per person. Yikes!

Back to Aviv. That night during dinner, we opened the discussion.

"Aviv, do you know where money comes from?" I asked.

"From the bank!" he replied with the absolute certainty that innocence brings.

"Yes, but where does the bank get it?"

Blank stare.

In my classes, I spend an entire session stalking about kids and money. And, you know, it is never too early to start the discussion. For example, even kids under the age of five can get a first experience with money by receiving a token allowance. A few ten agorot coins and a piggy bank are a great way to introduce the concept of savings or "keeping money." You can even tie the allowance to a few small chores so that later on the idea of a "salary" will not be foreign.

Here are several general tips which can help you guid the entire process:

Tip #1: Communicate your values - remember that your children are watching you. So whatever you do or express concerning money is going to be passed down.

Tip #2: Project a positive attitude - if you're going to be introducing some new cost-cutting measures in the house, don't just jump in. I like to start by talking about all the ways that we are rich - our family, the things we do have, etc.

Tip #3: Set a tone of confidence, openness and trust - don't be wishy-washy. You want them to know that moeny is not sometning to be afraid of and that it is something you feel you handle responsibly.

Tip #4: Make the talk an equal exchange - ask questions, encourage discussion rather than lecture.

Tip #5: Don't forget to laugh - if you get too serious, your kids will zone out or, even worse, begin to view money management as a dreary chore. You want it to be empowering...and fun!

Tip #6: Ask plenty of questions and listen carefully - the best way to learn is always in a question and answer format. Our question aobut "where do you think money comes from" is always a good icebreaker for the younger set.

Tip #7: Make sure your kids know they can always turn to you for financial advice - being open about the big issues - money, sex, fears - is the foundation for any good family relationship.

Tip #8: Establish a regular schedule for family discussions about finances - if you have a regular Family Meeting, build this in. You can include as topics ways to save more, how credit cards work and more.

Tip #9: With teenagers, discuss what's happening in the local and national economy - they hear about it in school and on the news - make it a part of your family discussion as well.

Tip #10: Involve your children in some of your family's typical financial matters - kids hate to be taken for granted. Get their "buy-in" when it comes to planning a family vacation or comparison shopping for the lowest prices. If your children are better in Hebrew than you, let them fird the prices on some of the very extensive Israeli websites for shopping.

This is just the "tip" of the iceberg. I encourage you to watch this space for more tips in the future. And if you haven't taken one of our classes yet, pick up the phone and call today. 054-788-8760.

In our last article, I started telling you about the Top Ten Ways to Save Money in Israel. I got through the first five. They were:

Tip #1: Don't go shopping as an activity
Tip #2: Live within your means
Tip #3: Take care of what you have
Tip #4: Wear it out
Tip #5: Do it yourself

Now it's time for the remaining five.

Tip #6: Anticipate your needs

The weather always turns cold in Israel at the same time: December. We all know that, but do we ever think about it...in June? And yet, if you try to buy gloves or a new pair of waterproof shoes in the height of the rainy season, you're going to pay more for it than if you think ahead and buy something during the summer. Do the same thing and buy those summer sandals or fall sweaters off season. The point is: if you anticipate your needs, you can get some great bargains.

Tip #7: Research value, quality and durability

It pays to shop around. And it pays to do your homework. Sure, you can buy the cheapest brand, but if it breaks after a week or a month when a more durable, only slightly more expensive product would have lasted much longer, you're going to feel like a real freier, aren't you? For years, Brian and I bought the cheapest light bulbs we could find. And you know what? They kept burning out after just a few weeks. We finally switched to a better brand and they last twice as long. But they don't cost twice as much. We also love children's clothes made by Luli - they cost more than what you can buy at Bazaar Strauss or at Mega or Jumbo, but they last and last and last.

Tip #8: Buy it used

One of the great things about not being 16 anymore is that I'm not obsessed with labels, or buying only the newest, hottest brands. Used goods can be just as high quality as new...for a fraction of the price. Brian needed a new laptop computer recently. He spent hours on the Internet researching different makes, mostly on eBay. The computer he got was maybe not the absolute fastest, but it served his needs for 1/3 the price of a new one. There are eBay equivalents here in Israel like www.osale.co.il and www.netaction.co.il. And advertisements on Janglo. Our plate - our Shabbat hotplate - broke recently. So we put out an ad on Janglo and got a perfectly fine unit for half the in-store price. If you can wait, the AACI in Jerusalem holds a twice-a-year "Yard Sale." You want to save money? Consider buying it used.

Tip #9: Get it for less

Here's another story about shopping around. I took my car in for its annual registration test and they told me it needed a new tire. And that they'd be more than happy to do it for me right on the spot. Now, there's something to be said for convenience. But (unfortunately), this was not the first time I'd had problems with my tires. So I called up the my tire guy and asked him how much for the tires. And he gave me a better price. So I drove the few blocks to the other tire store and saved money. I know, I could have had a flat on the way there. But I didn't. And I saved money.

Tip #10: Don't accept the price that is offered

This is related to the previous tip and it's one of the hardest things for immigrants from "Anglo" countries to Israel to grasp. Basically: the price that's listed is not necessarily the price you need to pay. This is the Middle East, the land of the shuk, and you can bargain for just about everything. I'm not talking just about a pair of shoes or a falafel. We've managed to get our Internet service down, our bottled water costs down, even our health plan fees down. Your credo from now on has to be: it never hurts to ask. And you'll be surprised at the results more often than not.

More important than any of these - and this is something I emphasize in my classes all the time - is this: the #1 way to save money in Israel:

Stop trying to impress people!

You know what I mean. You need to ahve the fanciest Shabbat meal. Or you have to buy a nicer car than you need. Or you can't use the less expensive soad, it's gotta be the Real Thing. The sooner you can shake this kind of thinking, the sooner you'll be free to save more money. And although I'm not a psychologist, I think it will be healthier in the long run as well!