That's another rant, bloody tax!!

Add it onto the advertised price. It's not like there is an option not to pay it. If I'm only buying 2 or 3 things then I'll often try and get the right change ready for when I'm served. Can't do it here [well I could but working out 4.23% in my head is a pain!]

4.23% is a tax?? GST?? Wow, THAT is cheap. I am used to the two digits kind of GST.

A low tax percentage is irrelevant when the cost of food is high. We are paying more for food over here than we ever did in NZ and that is just on buying basics [of poorer quality]. I have always cooked from scratch wherever I am. BTW average wage over here is slightly lower than in NZ as well.
Even taken to making my own bread, the bought stuff is seriously nasty! Never realised what great inventions bread makers were until now

We could save a lot of cash by eating Walmart $2 pizzas every night but my quality of life would suffer even more than it is already

Low tax is never irrelevant when prices are high! A high tax would make it even worse!

Of course it would, but that's not quite what I meant. You were having a not very subtle dig at NZ GST rates. I was referring to a comparison of total costs NZ-US. After all that is what you pay at the checkout. The fact I am paying a lower rate of sales tax compared to NZ is irrelevant because pre tax costs are still higher. The bigger picture!

The overall cost of food shopping here minus tax is higher than the equivalent in NZ which does include tax. So the fact that sales tax is only 4.23% [bizarre % but anyway!] is a good thing when we're already paying more to start with...it could be so much worse...

Ok, point taken.

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No problem. We're not having a good time over here [and only 18m to go] so I can be a bit 'sensitive' at times

Deleted my reply too.

Bloody hell, this rant thread is turning into a love-in!!

I truly do understand how hard it can be to live in a place where you don't want to be. I hope you will find something useful to do with your time in the US and wish you a happy return to Christchurch in 18 months (maybe even earlier, who knows)!

Cor ! Guys !

This thread is peppered with deleted posts. Maybe that should be peppered.

I grew mine this year but will now have to go check in the shops out of curiosity.

I grew some too but because of no rain they didn't do too well . We'll try again next year. How many plants do you have BEVS? We had 3 this year - 2x green/red & 1x orange. Think I may double that next spring.

Still the carrots & radish did well.

I'm unhappy that you're unhappy.