Frugal Choices Even for Simple Slippers

My slippers bit the dust. I can't complain; I got my money's worth. I bought them about four years ago in the states. They were washable,  comfortable and not expensive. They certainly did their job, but a few weeks ago I noticed that the soles were falling apart. Yes, it was time to dump them and buy a new pair.

I wanted the same sort of slippers. Why not? I began slipper shopping and discovered that similar washable slippers don't seem to exist here in Israel.

A few stores sell slippers that look rather similar, but they all have "care labels" saying:

אין לכבס "Ain lichabes." Most accurately translated as "Don't you dare try to wash them." or "wash at your own risk."

And they weren't at all cheap. I went through every possible store in the Hadar Mall, plus the Hamashbir department store at Zion Square. A few times I even tried on a pair, and they weren't comfortable. Besides not fulfilling that important requirement, prices were high, NS100 and more. A few people recommended buying online, but I don't do that.

Then yesterday I got a tremp to Jerusalem, near the Clal Building. The Stock, a junky discount chain, store had some open packages for NS20. Some seemed mislabeled. But as I continued walking down Rechov Yaffo, I spotted other stores with packaged/wrapped NS20 slippers, and decided to walk into one.

I picked out and tried on this funky pair. They fit and were walkable. Considering that the least expensive I had seen the week before cost NS60, I can buy a new pair three years running, and it would cost the same. Most of the slippers I had considered buying were even more expensive. These are for the house only. I have rubber ones for the pool.

my new slippers

PS I'll keep my eyes posted for sales, so maybe I can find an additional pair even cheaper.

Israel's Great Public Transport Deals, Especially for "Seniors"

Israeli Public Transportation is getting better and better in most ways. There are special discount tickets which give unlimited transportation within various districts at amazingly low prices, especially for senior citizens like myself. Today I met some friends in Gedera, which isn't near Shiloh at all. It's on the way to Ashdod, southeast of Tel Aviv.

Before leaving home I studied the map of travel discounts carefully, as did a friend who was joining me. We had already traveled cheaply to Beit Shemesh. The one day unlimited ticket to Beit Shemesh was the same as the one I use traveling to Jerusalem. The only thing I needed to tell the driver was to make sure it said Jerusalem Metropolitan West. The cost for the day was NS13.50. That's about $3.50. For someone too young for the senior discount, the price is about double.

Gedera is further than Beit Shemesh. The code name for us to get the discount fare to Gedera is Jerusalem-Gush Day. The fare was a bit more, just NS16, about $4.50. Unlike my Shiloh buses, these intercity buses are pretty reliable. The buses also had outlets to charge your phone. OK you need a long cord, too.

This district is humongous. It covers from Netanya in the north until Ashdod in the south, Jerusalem, of course, and all of Samaria and everything in between, Kfar Saba, Petach Tikva, Tel Aviv, Rechovot, Modiin and more.

The buses were clean; drivers and passengers polite.

It was a long day, and I am exhausted, but I just had to tell you about these great travel bargains. Frugal Israel is getting better.