Chasing the Fionist Dream

Happy summer, friends!

If you have kids, you know that summer can be a VERY expensive time. Camp is a fortune and when there’s no camp, we have to put up with that ever present “I’m bored… I’m bored… I’m bored…”

We’re not saying that you should induldge their every whim or that it is your job to keep them entertained (boredom is good for you – isn’t it?), but it is fun to get out of the house and treat yourselves to a nice outing now and then.

As you know, we almost never pay full price. There are discounts galore if you know where to look for them. And they’re not only for attractions. You can also buy discounted vouchers for restaurants, gadgets, travel, and even supermarkets (!!!) through the many many consumer clubs (מועדוני צרכנים) operating in Israel.

A couple years ago, on a regular visit to our local gymboree/soft play center, we asked the clerk at the entrance how many families pay full price and how many use discount vouchers (which are usually about half price). He informed us that it was about 50/50. The families paying full price subsidize the ones who don’t.

So how do I join one of these clubs?

Just about every workers’ union in Israel has such a club, and they all have excellent discounts. But since many of us aren’t in a unionized profession, we’ll get back to those later on, and list some of them by name, after going over the discounts that are not connected to where you work.

1. Credit cards. Just about every Israeli credit card offers a מועדון לקוחות or customer club. Most of them offer free traveler’s health insurance for up to five days, discount entry (or even buy one get one free) to many attractions and activities, and some even allow you to buy discounted vouchers to various supermarket chains. And unrelated to discount clubs, we can’t mention credit cards without reminding you that you should never ever pay credit card fees. Contact customer service and get them waived.
   
   
2. Municipalities. Many Israeli cities have clubs (often in the form of an app or website) that give residents discounts on a variety of activities (and parking) in the city. Jerusalem has Moadon Yerushalmi, Tel Aviv has DigiTel, Raanana has Raanana 360, Beersheva and the Negev have Negevist. Does your city have one?
   
   
3. Discount sites. Sadly, Groo and Baligam are no longer with us. 😔But sites like Couponofesh offer (small) discounts on attractions and sites like Hi Mami have discounts for other items. Both are free to join. Disclaimer: We’ve never used either one because we tend to have found better deals from other places.
   
   
4. Moadon HaPais/Israeli Lotto. For 60 shekels a month, it gives members access to a whole bunch of discounts. We don’t do this or recommend this because we don’t gamble. But it’s there and technically open to anyone.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s delve into some of the larger union-based consumer clubs.

Are you a….

• Miluimnik? In addition to the many rewards available to reserve soldiers during the current war, בהצדעה provides discounts to all sorts of opportunities.
  
  
• Teacher? Members of Histadrut Hamorim are eligible for discounts via Ashmoret/אשמורת, while members of Irgun Hamorim can buy discount vouchers through the union’s own site.
  
  
• Histadrut member? Many workplaces, particularly those in the public sector, belong to the הסתדרות, Israel’s oldest workers’ union. Histadrut members can buy discount vouchers for a wide array of items and experiences via ביחד בשבילך.
  
  
• Civil servant? Check out Tov Plus for significant discounts on outings, travel, gadgets and more.
  
  
• High tech employee? Check if your company is a member of הייטקזון.
  
  
• Kupat Cholim employee? Maccabi, Meuhedet, Clalit, and Leumit all have consumer clubs for their employees.
  
  
• Member of a supermarket chain. Chains like Rami Levy or Shufersal sell discounted vouchers to all sorts of things – however only for members who have the store’s credit card. We personally don’t join any membership clubs that require us to get a new credit card.

Don’t see yourself on this list? That’s okay. This list is in no way exhaustive. Speak to your HR and see if your company has perks you don’t know about.

How do I find out if an attraction or activity I am interested in has discounts available?

You can often find the list on the activity’s own site by trying to buy a ticket for a particular day. It will give you the choice between buying one directly from the establishment itself at full price or reserving a spot using a voucher you purchased elsewhere.

For example, if you try to book tickets for Madatech in Haifa (which we visited – and loved), this screen will appear:

Clicking “הזמנת כרטיסים דרך ועדים ומועדונים” will open a list of every single discount club they work with. You can then read through the list and see if you are a member of any of them. (Madatech, by the way, accepts over thirty different discount clubs!) If you are, open a new tab and buy a discounted ticket there. Then come back to the list, select that option, and input your confirmation code to book your spot.

Before wrapping up this post, we want to remind you that buying something at a discount only saves you money if you were going to buy that thing anyway. Life is to be enjoyed and you deserve to treat yourself now and then. Just make sure that it is in your budget.

Are you a member of any consumer clubs? What do you use it for?

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