Allow Me To Introduce Myself

Hi guys — this is Avinoam, Mara’s oldest son.

Some of you may recognize my name because over the last year or so, I’ve done a few guest product reviews and posts here and there, but now I’m stepping into a more consistent role with Kosher On A Budget and wanted to properly introduce myself.

For as long as I can remember, KOAB has basically been part of our family life. While most people know my mom as the face behind the deals, shopping tips, reviews, and nonstop bargain hunting, to me she’s always just been Mom — even if she does treat finding a price drop like it’s an Olympic sport.

Looking back now, I realize my mom wasn’t just teaching us how to save money — she was teaching us how to think about money responsibly.

One memory that has always stuck with me happened when we were living in Cleveland, and I was in middle school. After being told “no” to something I wanted, I dramatically told my mom, “I hate being poor.” She definitely got angry at me for saying it — which, looking back, was completely fair — but instead of just leaving it there, she turned it into a teaching moment. She took me with her to volunteer and made sure I understood what real poverty actually looks like. That moment genuinely changed my perspective. It taught me gratitude, perspective, and the difference between not getting everything you want and actually struggling.

That lesson — along with about ten thousand conversations about budgeting and finances over the years — has stayed with me my whole life. My mom really instilled in us from a young age the importance of being financially responsible, living within your means, and understanding the value of money. It’s impacted the way I think about almost everything as I’ve gotten older, all the way into my college sociology classes.

Watching my mom build this community over the years has also given me a huge appreciation for how much work, care, and integrity goes into everything she posts. She genuinely cares about helping families save money and only sharing things she believes are worthwhile.

At the same time, my mom has always been very intentional about protecting our privacy, which is why longtime readers probably know very little about me or my siblings. That was always important to her, and something I’ve appreciated more as I’ve gotten older. But since I’ll be posting more often now, it felt like the right time to finally say hello.

As many of you may know, we moved back to Israel when I was going into 9th grade. I finished HS and then spent 6 months at a mechina (religious army preparatory program), before drafting into the IDF. I was blessed to be recognized as an outstanding athlete (as you can see by the picture above, I am a baseball player), allowing me to continue to train and travel with Israeli national teams. While I was nearing the end of my service, I received a scholarship offer to come play college baseball in Kansas City (long-term readers are probably pointing their screens, saying, “Hey, you’ve lived there before”). Yes, it’s true we lived here for several years to be closer to my grandparents, and now I get the zchut of being my grandfather’s roommate while I continue to pursue my baseball dreams.

As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time away from my family, which has definitely given me an even greater appreciation for everything my parents taught us growing up — especially when it comes to budgeting, independence, and figuring out how to survive on a college athlete schedule. Being away from home forces you to grow up quickly, and I’ve realized how much of the mindset I carry with me every day comes directly from the way my mom raised us.

Since the start of the war, life has been pretty hectic on our end, and then about six weeks ago, we had a family emergency (which I don’t think my mom is ready to talk about yet), but she has been carrying a big responsibility dealing with it. When I noticed she hadn’t posted in days, I said I want to help take some things off your plate by stepping in more consistently with blogging, reviews, deals, and behind-the-scenes work. KOAB means a lot to our family, but even more than that, I know how much this community means to her. Over the years, so many of you have become more than just readers — you’ve really become part of this extended KOAB family.

So, as you start seeing my name pop up more often around here, now you know who’s behind the screen. I’m excited to be more involved, share some great finds, and hopefully continue the same voice and trust that people have come to expect from KOAB over the years.

And don’t worry — my mom isn’t going anywhere. I’m just helping carry some of the load.

So with all that said, what kind of deals and posts are y’all looking for, help me help you find the things your family really needs (or wants ;).