Yvonne - In the US, sales tax on grocery items is regulated on the state level. Some states don't charge any tax at all on food items purchased for consumption in the home. Others, like my state of Illinois, charge a reduced tax rate for food items and other "necessities" such as prescription drugs. Our state sales tax rate is 6.25%, and it is even lower than this for food, so really, it is almost negligible. Some things, such as milk and bread, are non-taxed items.
But yes, I know what you mean about not quite knowing what your final bill will be until you hit the check out line. I always mentally reserve a dollar or two for tax - so if I have $10 in my wallet, I don't purchase anything over $9 because I know I'm going to need that extra buck for the taxes <g>.
The other pervasive American custom that doesn't seem to plague other countries is tipping. Don't get me started...
Lynn
PS - After seeing Rivka and Laura's posts re: prices elsewhere in the US, I'm thinking I should head over to Dominick's and take advantage of the good prices!
