Towards Rosh Hashanah: 4 things to check before the big holiday shopping

Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner, and with it comes one of the biggest shopping trips of the year. The list grows longer, the cart fills up with products not bought every week, and the total at the checkout can rise quickly. Precisely during this period, when holiday expenses are added to regular shopping, it is worth stopping for a moment before heading to the supermarket and checking what benefits, coupons, and discounts are already available to you, before taking out your wallet.

Coupons: check what can already be discounted

One of the simplest ways to reduce expenses is to check in advance the coupons offered by chains ahead of the holiday. For example, Shufersal published a booklet ahead of the Tishrei holidays including more than 100 coupons for various products. Among the prices appearing in it: Osem ketchup for 5 shekels, Sabra "Masada" hummus for 7 shekels, filo or fillas dough weighing 500 grams for 7 shekels, and frozen green peas weighing 800 grams for 7 shekels.

Other products suitable for pre-holiday shopping are also included in the booklet, including Osem onion or mushroom soup for 15 shekels and two packs of "Schnitzel-Schnitzel" chicken nuggets weighing 600 grams for 20 shekels. Alongside food products, the booklet also has coupons for green products, including natural peanut butter for 7 shekels, tofu for 7 shekels, and organic olive oil for 25 shekels.

Credit card: maybe you have a discount you are not using

But coupons are not the only option. Before going out for the big shopping trip, it is worth checking the benefits that already exist on your credit card. Some credit cards and clubs have discounts, refunds, or promotions in food chains and stores at different times, and sometimes the benefit is given automatically and sometimes it needs to be activated in advance. Therefore, it is worth entering the card's app and checking what is waiting there before paying.

This check can be especially relevant if you are going to spend a high amount anyway. Even if it is a percentage refund or a limited discount, in a big purchase the difference can add up. At the same time, it is important to check the terms of the benefit — in which businesses it is valid, whether there is a refund cap, and whether registration or prior activation is required.

Gift card: before paying, check what is already at home

More money that is very easy to forget is sometimes found right at home. Drawers, wallets, and even phone apps can contain vouchers and gift cards we received during the year — from work, as a gift, through a customer club, or as part of a credit card benefit.

One of the things worth checking is whether you have "Tov HaZahav" or other gift cards left. If you have a voucher you haven't used yet, it can be used for a purchase you are planning for the holiday anyway — and thus reduce the amount you will have to pay from your own pocket.

Therefore, before spending new money on the holiday shopping, it is worth checking if there is a voucher or gift card that is still valid and can be used in the chain where you plan to shop anyway. In such a case, it is not a new promotion that needs to be searched for, but money that is already with you and can reduce the amount deducted from the account.

Here too, it is important to check the terms: not every voucher is valid in every chain or every branch, and some vouchers may be subject to different redemption conditions. It is worth checking the balance, the validity of the voucher, and the chains where it can be redeemed before reaching the checkout.

Combining benefits: sometimes you can save more than once

Another way is to combine benefits instead of choosing just one. If a certain product is included in a coupon, the chain offers a special price for it, and at the same time you have a benefit through a club or credit card — it is worth checking if the benefits can be redeemed together. It is not always possible, but when it is, the cumulative savings can be more significant than a single discount.

Here too, it is worth checking the terms in advance and not assuming that all benefits are cumulative. Sometimes a coupon is valid only without another promotion, and sometimes the credit card discount is limited to certain transactions.

Ultimately, the way to lower the Rosh Hashanah basket does not have to mean giving up the products you wanted to buy. Before going out for the big shopping trip, it is worth checking what the chains are offering, what benefits exist on the credit card, whether there is a gift card or "Tov HaZahav" left at home that can be used, and which benefits can be combined. A few minutes of checking in advance can save money precisely where expenses are growing anyway.