The Big Felafel

Top 6 Bargains in Israel (and the runner-ups)

After being in Israel for over 3 years, I think I have established the top 6 bargains in Israel. But please, if I forgot any, leave a comment and tell me all about it.

1. Tablecloths for 18 shekels 10 shekels
   I found pretty Shabbat tablecloths that just about everyone seems to have for 18 shek. This deal is so good, it turns out, that every time my mom comes to visit, it is the only thing she stocks up on.
   Where: Agrippas St in Jerusalem, coming up from King George toward the Mahane Yehuda shuk. It is on the left hand side and they usually have the tablecloths displayed on the street.
   Update: The store on  Agrippas went out of business. But you can find an even better deal at Bazar Strauss in Talpiot across from the Achim Yisrael mall
2. Haircut for 35 shekels
   We previously wrote about how you can get a 35 shekel haircut by a hair-cutting student at Shuki Zukri Diri in downtown Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Turns out that Mr. Zikri owes millions on the grey market and therefore has shut down his beauty salons. Real bummer. The only thing I can recommend now is to wait for a good deal to show up on group deal sites like Groupon or the like.
   Phone: 02-624-0171
3. Nesher Shared Taxi Sherut for 45 58 shekels
   For 45 50 58 shekels you get door-to-door service from anywhere in Jerusalem to the airport. My friend said he had a hard time finding Nesher’s phone number online so I thought I’d post them. Make sure to call a day or two before to reserve a spot. Here’s a Nesher-specific “Did you know”. Did you know that they don’t have Nesher in Tel Aviv? I mean, I guess it makes sense since it’s so close to the airport but… how do they survive?
   Phone numbers: 02-623-1231, 02-625-7227
4. Iced Coffee for 5 shekels
   Personally, I like the smooth iced coffee without the icy chunks. But the Iced Coffee from Marzipan in the shuk is so cheap that I just wait for it to melt.
   Where: The Legendary Marzipan bakery is on Agrippas St. but you probably already knew that and just got up to check the fridge to see if you have any rugalech left over.
5. Autenti clothes 20-50 shekels.
   Autenti sells hippie-ish clothes between 20 and 50 shekels and usually have cute skirts.
   Where: Stores on Yaffo St. and Agrippas St.
6. 30 pitas for 10 shekels
   Stop by the shuk at night around 8-9:30 as it’s closing to find good deals on pita and other stuff they’re trying to get rid of.
   Where: Try on Yaffo St by the entrance.

Runner-ups

• Stove Lighters for 5 shekels from the dollar store. Obviously the conversion rate of the dollar needs a little update.
• Duvsheinit Challah for 6 shekels from the shuk
• Soup Festival at the David Citadel for 48 shekels. The all-you-can-eat soup is from 10am to 11pm every day until the end of March for 48 Shekels. They also have wireless internet, so you can pretty much just move in and set up your office right next to the soup buffet.

These deals are updated as of January 18, 2012, so they are likely to change due to inflation. No guarantees.