Get ready, get set, shop! At 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight on Saturday Mississippians will enjoy a little tax break, courtesy of your friends at the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Most people think they pay too many taxes already. So it certainly seems to be a breath of fresh air to hear that this weekend is a sales tax holiday in Mississippi.

Then, when you read the fine print, the air turns a little sour and stale.

This year marks the fourth year residents of the Magnolia State have been able to enjoy a “tax-free” weekend.

But, like in years past, the tax breaks come with lots of little small disclaimers.

First, despite the name, not everything is tax-free this weekend.

No big-ticket items are tax-free; so don’t go down to the local car dealer expecting a tax-free set of wheels.

In fact, it’s only a very limited kind of merchandise that qualifies — certain types of clothing and shoes. Oh, and each individual item must cost less than $100.

In other words, the sales tax holiday is really more like a sales tax lunch break.

We’d love it if the state really opened things up next year. We realize the state cannot afford to lose the significant taxes generated off car and truck sales, but what if the state extended the sales tax breaks to school supplies?

That might be a way to truly help parents out a bit in an otherwise costly time of the year.

But until we can convince our friends in Jackson to think outside the box a bit, we hope you shop local and enjoy the 7-percent savings.