Coming to work in Israel with Career Israel is an adventure. You gain work experience, become familiarized with a new country and culture, have the opportunity to travel and explore, and you are now doing it on your own and on your own budget.
One aspect of doing it on your own means you have to be your own boss while managing your finances. Luckily Israel has so many alternatives when it comes to managing your money, you don’t have to constantly splurge (only if you want to…) on expensive items and restaurants. There are plenty of options with different price ranges for you to pick and choose.
- Food: While you will find all types and prices of restaurants in Israel – from high-end gourmet sushi places to cheap bodegas with falafel, an alternative to eating out is shopping at the Shuk (outdoor produce market) and cooking at home. The Shuk’s produce is fresh and oftentimes inexpensive (if you go late in the day you can probably get better prices). Pick up meat, just-caught fish, vegetables, and fruit and head home with some friends to get cooking. Enjoy a great meal together by a set table, squatting around the living room or even on the balcony and don’t forget to store the leftovers for the rest of the week.
- Clothes: Israel has all the top brands at the malls. However, the more unique and cheap finds are at second-hand stores and swap meet markets. Find vintage stores near you and take the time to look through the variety of jeans, jackets, blouses and even sneakers. Aside from their inexpensive price tag, they’ll have that cool used edge and you’ll be doing the environment a great favor. For swap meets, you have to keep your eyes and ears open to when and where the next ones are around the city.
- Travel: It may seem that the effortless method of exploring Israel is by car. However, keep in mind that renting can be a bit pricey. Israel’s variety of great public transportation options allow you to see the country without the burden of a car. The train is a great option to travel directly from North to South and East towards Jerusalem. Within the city, as well as outside, bus lines can reach almost everywhere. Nowadays you can use multiple apps to plan ahead which method of transportation can work for you. Lastly, in the city, bicycle and scooter rentals are easy and abundant. All you need is a helmet and a mobile phone.
Working and traveling abroad is not necessarily a financial burden. There are plenty of options to keep you within your planned budget to enjoy and experience it all in Israel. Keep these in mind when applying for Masa grants and internships in Israel.
