Yes, I agree shipping is a pain in the rear! I can only imagine that they are going to get worse with the way the economy is! Remember though, FedEx, USPS and UPS all decide their own shipping costs. It is not up to us at all.... unfortunately!!!
Also - shipping costs are mostly calculated by the weight of the product and the distance that it is traveling. They don't really care how much it costs (unless it starts to get really expensive... then they add more).
USPS is a great option for items that are light or small. First class is great for things under a pound. Also we use USPS for people in Puero Rico, Alaska or Hawaii. However if you are in the Continental US and shipping something with some weight to it, then FedEx is usually the cheapest. =)
Also - shipping in bulk, or shipping more items at once can really cut down on the shipping costs. Instead of ordering one or two items wait a little bit until you have a longer list of items. Shipping 4 or 5 things will be cheaper in the long run! This is true no matter what or where you are ordering!