Eretz Yisrael Poll

shabbatiscoming

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 3:45 am

Israeli_C wrote:

Interested to know, how many Imas felt that materially they did a bit of 'tzimtzum' when they came to Israel and now have a simpler lifestyle? I don't know if it's really comparable because I went from living off my parents to setting up my own home in Israel. But it was a bit of a shock to go from a two storey house with gardens, 3 cars and basically anything and everything I wanted to living in a caravan on a yishuv with no hot water and one slightly-working radiator during a snowy winter. Things have improved a lot (BH!!) but the lifestyle I had is simply not possible here.

Israeli_C, but you living in a caravan was a choice, no? I have friends who did that. They could have lived in the city or a different yishuv in a rental, but people usually do that to say up, not to do it long term.

I left my parents home, came to israel, was single for two years and then got married life happened. I dont feel that my life is very different than my parents. We have two cars (my parents actually had one Wink

) we own an apartment (but its not tiny either) and we buy what we need and sometimes even things we just want.
I think some people have a much more simple life here and others have just the same. It really going to be individual all the way through. Ever person or every family is going to have their own journey because of their own specifics.

grace413

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 4:06 am

bunnyrabbit wrote:

I understand that the same Hashem who gives us the children gives us the food to feed them...do you experience that?

BH my family is comfortable but it's not a secret that many families here in Israel have difficulty feeding their families. I live in a very middle class place yet teachers in the elementary schools have told me that certain children come without aruchat eser/lunch because the families don't have.

amother

Maroon

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 4:09 am

Less than 10000 ש"ח
Both dh and I work part time, but I work more hours and earn more.

3 kids

We own our house and pay no mortgage, but it is a sub-standard dwelling in some ways and rather too small, in a settlement. We still have to pay Arnona and taxes to the yishuv, don't know how much, dh pays that.

Food and hygiene stuff - about 2500 - 3000 a month

Electricity - about 800 in winter, I guess, part of the house is badly insulated and loses heat.

Gas for the 2 cars (where we live, public transportation is insufficient, we need the cars to get anywhere): about 1300

Tzaharon for all 3 children - 1100

Various insurances including house, health, accident and car insurances: 1000

Phones and internet - 300

Miscellaneous - about 1000

Paying off the second car - 1500

B"H we've got no debts and even have some savings but for the last year or so we haven't been able to save more - what comes in, goes out.

amother

Powderblue

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 4:12 am

Israeli_C wrote:

For 2 kids or 1? That's a really great price either way. My 1.5 year old goes to a maon from 7.30am to 1.30pm 6 days a week (til 12.30 Fridays) and it's 1,700 - one of the cheapest in the area (I've heard of 3,700 for 1 kid til 4pm which is mind boggling).

I was in the middle of a Teudat Horaa before I got pregnant with my twins, and now it would literally not pay to work as a teacher given childcare costs

That's simply not true.

If you have a teudat horaa and a BA (in anything really) then a starting salary for a teacher is 8000 nis (full time, 5 days a week, about 8:15 -15:15 every day, depending on school recess etc). That's for high school, I believe elementary is similar. You don't teach all those hours; in high school, full time is 40 periods (of 45 min each), but you only teach a maximum of 24 periods of frontal lessons. The rest is dedicated to your own paperwork and one-on-one with pupils.
As far as I know, if you have kids in daycare, you receive another 500 NIS a month to help cover that, in your salary. Also you receive a 10% bonus on your basic salary (not on the whole thing), if you have any kids under 14 - משרת אם
You won't pay a lot of taxes if you have several little kids.

If you are a native English speaker, it should not be too hard to find a position. It definitely covers daycare! And it's worth starting, because every year adds vetek and increases your salary and pension.

Also, there are daycares subsidized by the gov't AFAIK, and you only get a subsidy if you work f/t, or almost f/t. So daycare might cost much less if you are working.

Rappel

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 5:42 am

Israeli_C wrote:

1 child, a small, private playgroup for 2 year-olds.

Maon has a base price, but they usually give scholarships to working moms (they create a ratio of your salary vs. how many hours you work a week, and then grade your scholarship based off of that). Ask your local day care - it may be more affordable than you think.

Also: teachers with a teudat horaah and experience now make 8,000, and you get paid the same during chagim/summer. Israel is finally appreciating its teachers!

Last edited by Rappel on Fri, Feb 15 2019, 5:52 am; edited 1 time in total

Rappel

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 5:48 am

blessedjmom wrote:

1050 rent. Wow.
I live in Jerusalem and pay 5500
Can I ask where you live? And what size...

I live in Itamar.

We're currently renting an eshkubit - a prefabricated concrete house. 2 bedrooms, living room, bathroom, galley kitchen, yard and garden.

If we wanted to size up to 3 bedrooms, I think it's 1250.

Many yishuvim have low-cost rent on ground-floor locations. For those prices, in a religious yishuv that's commuter-distance from Yerushalayim, I recommend Kochav Hashahar, Maaleh Michmash, or Shiloh.

That being said: the zechut of living in Yerushalayim is unparalleled. I have friends in ateret kohanim, and I admire how close they are to our true home. I know I need green spaces to feel comfortable, but some part of me wishes I could adjust to city life, just so I could be a walk away from Har Habayit. So kol hakavod, and behatzlacha!

Last edited by Rappel on Fri, Feb 15 2019, 6:02 am; edited 1 time in total

Rappel

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 5:59 am

Sorry for the serial posts!

On a completely separate topic than my previous two replies:

I absolutely love this thread.

It's extremely thought-provoking. We live and move in Israeli circles, so I have very little context for what it's like for other olim, and how our stories are similar/different.

Imamother takes me out of my echo chamber, and usually teaches me about the thoughts and lives of other frum women, but rarely do I get to speak to imas whom are closer to home about their experiences.

There's lots of great information here, but really, just: thank you, everyone who posted, for a window into your lives. It probably sounds weird, but seeing people go through parallel situations makes me feel closer to you all.

So thanks. Smile

amother

Powderblue

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 6:00 am

Rappel wrote:

Also: teachers with a teudat horaah and experience now make 8,000, and you get paid the same during chagim/summer. Israel is finally appreciating its teachers!

All true, except that that's the salary WITHOUT experience, for a first year teacher.

A teacher with 20 yr experience, an MA, and hishtalmuyot (easy courses u do for credits), makes about 15 k bruto.
About half the teachers or even more do an easy MA at some point for the extra salary.

Rappel

Fri, Feb 15 2019, 6:03 am

amother wrote:

Thanks for the correction. That's fabulous! I hope you're a teacher! Wink

amother

Sienna

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 12:54 pm

Four kids k"h, living in small two bedroom in yerushalayim, rent is 4000 nis/month .
Tuition is 750 for 2 year old, 35*2 for cheder boys and 20nis/HR for metapelet, usually spend about 500 on that, depending on my work schedule
We have a car BH which is usually 250 every two weeks in gas
Food bus about 400 a week, I make most things from scratch but still....
Insurance, medical expenses....
Really appreciate this thread!

bunnyrabbit

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 1:44 pm

amother wrote:

Food bus about 400 a week, I make most things from scratch but still....

I make everything from scratch and don't buy anything prepared - freezer/pantry including sauces, and I spend 500 a week on groceries not including buses!
How do you spend so little on food? Do you live out of the Merkaz?

amother

Powderblue

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 2:04 pm

bunnyrabbit wrote:

I had no idea teachers make so much.

Yes, full time high school teachers. I think elementary earn a little less.
Many teachers don't work totally f/t though, because they want to be home with their kids.
Also the salaries quoted are only for certified teachers in public schools (includes dati and dati torani and some charedi).

amother

Plum

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 2:07 pm

I voted more than 15. 2 school age kids, Mercaz.
But some of our expenses are because we both work full time (and bH earn decently).

I'd love to live in a yishuv but we're tied to Tel Aviv and refuse to both commute over an hour twenty (which we do now), and childcare options get even more limited the further from the city you get.

US student loans:1800 sheckels per month
Food, pharmacy, etc (including monthly medications): 500-800 per week
Rent: 4700 for 120 meters with a balcony. We're under paying and very grateful.
Health insurance: 800 per month
Tuition/aftercare/babysitting: about 3000 per month including full price for tzaharon, full price for cheder, twice a week evening babysitting.
Car loan: 1500/month
Gas: 250/week (30km twice daily)
Rav kav: 240 per month for dh, plus about 100 per month for the days he drives and I train to work.
Chugim: 400 per month (I need the childcare anyway, English, drawing and drama)
Weekly cleaner: 600 per month.
Therapy: 700 per month

We also account for July/August full time childcare costing about 7000 sheckels, and Pesach costs for the one week what I usually spend on a month on food. Plus, of course, seasonal child clothing costs, school supplies, new shoes, etc.

I didn't add utilities, because I don't know what we pay presently.

We feel comfortably middle class and are extremely grateful for everything we have; it wasn't always so comfortable. That said, we don't see ourselves saving enough to own a home or pay off our student loans basically ever, and with two full time jobs and some health issues, we don't feel we can cut anything and we're on our own.

So, as with most people, we think about money. No vacations, hand me down furniture, very little eating out. BH.

Aon cause identifying details.

amother

Khaki

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 2:35 pm

amother wrote:

This is the monthly salary??

amother

Powderblue

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 2:46 pm

amother wrote:

This is the monthly salary??

Yes, the monthly salary. It's not that much really. Many professionals in Israel make much more after 20 years!
The main perk is that you get paid that much over summer and pesach vacations too.

Anyway, if anyone is considering it, there is a big need for certified English teachers who are native speakers. If you already have a BA you can do a special program called the Mteach where you get a teaching diploma and Med at the same time.

bunnyrabbit

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 2:59 pm

amother wrote:

I know that people working in high-tech, management positions etc make more than this, but regular workers? Think secretaries at your kuppat cholim - do they really reach a salary of 15,000 shekel? How much do government workers make (revacha, gvia etc)? Honestly asking; I have no idea.
I think yesodi teachers get paid much less than this, too, but I could be wrong.

It's a huge perk, particularly as the rest of us need to pay DOUBLE child-care those months (think private gan, mitaplot, etc -you pay a set rate a month in many cases, which includes the months YOU'RE working and she's not!)

bunnyrabbit

Sat, Feb 16 2019, 3:03 pm

If you voted less than 10,000 a month, it would be very helpful if you could answer the following:

Do you pay rent/mortgage?

Do you live in the Merkaz?

Do you have more than 1-2 young children?

Do you track your monthly expenses?

Kol HaKavod for keeping your expenses that low, I am impressed! Would love to learn any tricks. And no - we have never gone on a vacation, don't get take-out, don't have cleaning help, get second-hand clothing and many other things too...
Please share tricks and tips! Thanks!