Author Topic: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?  (Read 30979 times)

Offline Emkay

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #80 on: April 25, 2018, 12:17:29 PM »
We miss you :)

Are the costs for your wife to work really the same as what she's making?
My wife took an interview in an American ran accounting firm here thinking it might pay relatively well as they could only hire those with American degrees and focused on American businesses. They said the starting pay is 35 shekels an hr (cleaning help gets 50 usually) which would have likely left us with 0.

Offline Dan

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #81 on: April 25, 2018, 12:23:04 PM »
My wife took an interview in an American ran accounting firm here thinking it might pay relatively well as they could only hire those with American degrees and focused on American businesses. They said the starting pay is 35 shekels an hr (cleaning help gets 50 usually) which would have likely left us with 0.
Crazy. Why bother working?
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Offline hvaces42

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #82 on: April 25, 2018, 12:27:29 PM »
I have found meat to be really cheap...I paid 80Sheqel for 2 Kilo of Flanken.
Just curious, bone-in or not?
Basic vegetables (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, peppers, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes) are neither expensive nor low quality.
Other veggies are not the best quality.
Fruits you can only get in season. We don't have a million Apple choices like you have in America. Just paid 19₪/kilo for some pink lady apples because haven't had in a long time.
Meat is more expensive. But they have bulk meat sales with imported meat from Argentina. I just bought a box of brisket for 40₪/kilo

Before pesach, prices don't go up in supermarkets. There are gmachs which run cost sales, selling most things you need for pesach at cost (it's not marketed for people who are in need-everyone is encouraged to participate as that scales the operation)
All I can say is I went to Osher Ad a few times and the quality of the peppers and cucumbers, were horrendous. As you said, fruits are seasonal, which is a big change from America. Although I wish someone could explain to me why passion fruit is $.50 there (and in Europe as well) and $3.99 here.

Imported meat is all pre-frozen AFAIK so stocking up by re-freezing is just not something we do. Our meat gets frozen only once. Either before prep or after its bought fresh and cooked.   
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Offline Emkay

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #83 on: April 25, 2018, 12:31:05 PM »
Crazy. Why bother working?
Precisely. I was planning on emailing them recently to ask them if they ever filled that position. I'm genuinely curious which American CPA would take it.

Offline Emkay

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #84 on: April 25, 2018, 12:33:11 PM »




Imported meat is all pre-frozen AFAIK so stocking up by re-freezing is just not something we do. Our meat gets frozen only once. Either before prep or after its bought fresh and cooked.   
Why re-freezing? It stays frozen.

Offline Dan

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #85 on: April 25, 2018, 12:36:22 PM »
Although I wish someone could explain to me why passion fruit is $.50 there (and in Europe as well) and $3.99 here.
I go to Hawaii just for the .25 passion fruits :)
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Offline momo

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #86 on: April 25, 2018, 12:42:42 PM »
Just curious, bone-in or not? All I can say is I went to Osher Ad a few times and the quality of the peppers and cucumbers, were horrendous. As you said, fruits are seasonal, which is a big change from America. Although I wish someone could explain to me why passion fruit is $.50 there (and in Europe as well) and $3.99 here.

Imported meat is all pre-frozen AFAIK so stocking up by re-freezing is just not something we do. Our meat gets frozen only once. Either before prep or after its bought fresh and cooked.   
Go to the shuk. i lived there for 5 years, and that was the only place i would go for produce. Great variety, quality, and pricing. Obviously if you dont live in Jerusalem, its a shlep, but it might be worth it.

Offline Ergel

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #87 on: April 25, 2018, 12:47:12 PM »
Why re-freezing? It stays frozen.

Exactly. It comes in a large very frozen box. Could probably stay like that for a day and not defrost
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Offline Ergel

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #88 on: April 25, 2018, 12:53:14 PM »
Either way, don't think this thread is about having access to watermelon in the winter. The gashmius is obviously better in America.
Don't go and call me meraglim, I moved here.
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Offline satturn

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #89 on: April 25, 2018, 01:08:30 PM »
Just curious, bone-in or not? All I can say is I went to Osher Ad a few times and the quality of the peppers and cucumbers, were horrendous. As you said, fruits are seasonal, which is a big change from America. Although I wish someone could explain to me why passion fruit is $.50 there (and in Europe as well) and $3.99 here.

Imported meat is all pre-frozen AFAIK so stocking up by re-freezing is just not something we do. Our meat gets frozen only once. Either before prep or after its bought fresh and cooked.   

I guess eachperson is different. I find osher ad to be totally acceptable quality. Keep in mind, even standard vegatables are seasonal, and they are better and worse times for them.  I get my meat frozen once, i defrost it, cook it , eat it, enjoy it. I actually started pickling tounge and corn beef recently, great stuff. Again, to parrot the previuse post, i didnt move to israel to get a USA lifestyle. But i did not have to take on a vow of poverty either. I find that most people who are making comments about the impossibilty to live in israel, spent most of their early years in kollel, and now the family got big and the expenses rise they cant support themselves. So they go look for a job that pays well and they find that very few are hiring no experienced 28 year old employees. And they cant allow themselves to take a 35nis an hour job, because they need to support their family. Thank god i make an average israeli salary, but i started working at my current place of employment for about 4000 nis a month. Which i did for 2 years, while newly married. But i worked hard, built my way up and now make a standard salary that i can live on. 

Offline hvaces42

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #90 on: April 25, 2018, 01:09:52 PM »
Why re-freezing? It stays frozen.
i dont buy frozen meat
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Offline satturn

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #91 on: April 25, 2018, 01:15:49 PM »
My wife took an interview in an American ran accounting firm here thinking it might pay relatively well as they could only hire those with American degrees and focused on American businesses. They said the starting pay is 35 shekels an hr (cleaning help gets 50 usually) which would have likely left us with 0.
I agree 35nis an hour for a cpa is a joke. But the job market in israel likes experienced workers. Both my wife and I started jobs paying very low salarys and moved up . I have a sister here who got a $10 a hour job in a call center about 13 yeasr ago. Did that for the first 5 years and got small raises etc. But after 5 years they hired her to manage the whole operation and she now makes more than i do. She was willling to start working when she was young and work her way up.

Cleaners do make 50 an hour, but you usually only hire them a few hours a week. In the charedi world there are many israeli woman whobecome cleaners. And i respect that.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #92 on: April 25, 2018, 01:16:10 PM »
I guess eachperson is different. I find osher ad to be totally acceptable quality. Keep in mind, even standard vegatables are seasonal, and they are better and worse times for them.  I get my meat frozen once, i defrost it, cook it , eat it, enjoy it. I actually started pickling tounge and corn beef recently, great stuff. Again, to parrot the previuse post, i didnt move to israel to get a USA lifestyle. But i did not have to take on a vow of poverty either. I find that most people who are making comments about the impossibilty to live in israel, spent most of their early years in kollel, and now the family got big and the expenses rise they cant support themselves. So they go look for a job that pays well and they find that very few are hiring no experienced 28 year old employees. And they cant allow themselves to take a 35nis an hour job, because they need to support their family. Thank god i make an average israeli salary, but i started working at my current place of employment for about 4000 nis a month. Which i did for 2 years, while newly married. But i worked hard, built my way up and now make a standard salary that i can live on.
My brother lives there with his wife and 3 kids on an enlisted man Air Force salary and he lives comfortably. He would be better off outside Jerusalem. But even in Jerusalem he can make it. His benefits are amazing. But he lives in a plain apartment. Nothing fancy. And he has no aspirations to live better than he now does. So he has accepted it for what it is and lives the true life, not one of fantasy.
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Offline satturn

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #93 on: April 25, 2018, 01:20:46 PM »
My brother lives there with his wife and 3 kids on an enlisted man Air Force salary and he lives comfortably. He would be better off outside Jerusalem. But even in Jerusalem he can make it. His benefits are amazing. But he lives in a plain apartment. Nothing fancy. And he has no aspirations to live better than he now does. So he has accepted it for what it is and lives the true life, not one of fantasy.

I believe that most americans that move to israel do so for idealistic reasons. And are perfectly happy with the simple life and have no aspirations for more. Not the same for natrual norn israelis. No american moves here for the high life.

Offline mercaz1

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #94 on: April 25, 2018, 01:23:31 PM »
how does it work transferring your American degree (especially Law)to an Israeli company? how long to learn the language? how did your kids adapt?

Offline Emkay

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #95 on: April 25, 2018, 01:25:44 PM »
i dont buy frozen meat
Your comment nonetheless didn't make sense. And can you explain to me why freezing before prep is different then buying frozen and keeping frozen?

Offline satturn

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #96 on: April 25, 2018, 01:31:04 PM »
how does it work transferring your American degree (especially Law)to an Israeli company? how long to learn the language? how did your kids adapt?
http://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/employment-israel/degrees-licensing/law/
http://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/employment-israel/degrees-licensing/working-as-a-foreign-licensed-lawyer-in-israel-the-new-law/

I moved here right after marrige, so my kids didnt need to adapt as they where born here. moving with kids is one of the harder parts of making alyah and you should really consult an expert first. Im saying that as a person who is very pro aliyah
« Last Edit: April 25, 2018, 01:40:25 PM by satturn »

Offline Emkay

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #97 on: April 25, 2018, 01:41:24 PM »


No american moves here for the high life.

I did.

Offline Ergel

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #98 on: April 25, 2018, 02:04:42 PM »
how does it work transferring your American degree (especially Law)to an Israeli company? how long to learn the language? how did your kids adapt?
FWIU law in Israel is extremely different than law in America. Lawyers do not get paid very well in Israel.

In terms of kids adapting - again, I'm only here 8 months, but it really depends on your kids ability to adapt in general and their ages.
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Offline hvaces42

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Re: How hard is it financially to make it in Israel?
« Reply #99 on: April 25, 2018, 02:23:55 PM »
Your comment nonetheless didn't make sense. And can you explain to me why freezing before prep is different then buying frozen and keeping frozen?
I always buy fresh. If i freeze then i cook and consume. Otherwise prep and freeze ready to be cooked full meals, i.e. breaded cutlets . Buying frozen you dont know how fresh it was when it was frozen and have no way of knowing if its good until its thawed. Also does not allow for preparing meals in advance for working families. Its great to be avle to go to freezer and have frozen meatballs in sauce ready to eat when you want. If the chopped meat came frozen I'd have to cook and eat immediately and couldnt have 2 or 3 dinners in tbe freezer made at once.
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