The spiraling cost of everyday necessities — gas, utilities, groceries, housing, child care and health care — have forced many Americans to do more with less.
That burden could shape the midterm elections. Though President Trump isn’t on the ballot, many Americans have expressed deep skepticism of his handling of the economy. The New York Times asked a swath of voters about how they’re weathering the financial storm.
— Audra D. S. Burch
‘My husband is asking me, “Hey, can I afford my shoes yet?”’
Callie Baker, 24, Bainbridge, Ohio
Callie Baker, who rides, trains and sells barrel-racing horses, recently bought a new pair of riding boots, which run between $200 to $300, she said. Her husband, who shoes horses, needs a new pair, too. But he’s waiting.
“My husband is asking me, ‘Hey, can I afford my shoes yet?’” said Ms. Baker, who said she voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 and 2024. “He’s got holes in his.”
The Bakers are eyeing a new diesel truck to pull a horse trailer. Theirs has nearly 200,000 miles on it, but a new one would add $1,400 to their monthly budget. So they’re waiting on that, too.
— Billy Witz
‘I believe the ultimate goal is worth the short-term pain.’
Ray Bates, 70, Windsor, Maine
Ray Bates, a Republican who said he voted for Mr. Trump three times, has noticed the rise in gas prices. But the hike feels like an investment in the war with Iran, which he hopes could end a nuclear threat.
Semiretired, Mr. Bates still works three days a week, collecting samples from public water supplies for testing. He sometimes drives 150 miles a day when working, but his employer pays for his gas, he said. He hasn’t yet cut back on his personal driving.
“I wish the cost of gas would come down, obviously, but it hasn’t been life-changing for me,” he said. “I believe the ultimate goal is worth the short-term pain.”
— Jenna Russell
‘Things that were sort of routine before are now considered a luxury.’
Charnita West Jenkins, 55, Stonecrest, Ga.
After the 2024 election, Charnita West Jenkins wondered how the Trump administration’s policies might affect her.
Within months, she said, the answer was clear: She had to reconsider her spending.
Ms. Jenkins, a Democrat with an independent streak who said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, said she blames, in part, the wave of tariffs and the war in Iran for rising prices. She has started cooking more, taking leftovers for lunch and slashing Starbucks runs.
“Things that were sort of routine before are now considered a luxury,” said Ms. Jenkins, who’s considering retirement after 30 years as an educator.
Gone, too, are vacations and spontaneous outings with her husband. “We recently went to the movies for the first time in almost a year,” she said. This time, though, they went to a matinee and ate at home: “What used to be a $100-plus date was about $40.”
— Audra D. S. Burch
‘They continue to want to pay me to do high-quality work.’
Zach LaPierre, 52, Sitka, Alaska
Zach LaPierre hasn’t felt much economic fallout from the war with Iran for two reasons, he said.
First, Mr. LaPierre, a self-employed woodworker and salvage logger, already lives frugally, in a 220-square-foot cabin, heated by firewood, that he shares with his family, he said. Second, he said, most of his customers are rich and don’t seem to be changing their habits.
“They continue to want to pay me to do high-quality work,” he said.
Mr. LaPierre said he couldn’t remember the last time he voted Republican for federal office, but thinks it was one of Senator Lisa Murkowski’s earlier campaigns. He said he voted for Ms. Harris in 2024. He considers himself more conservative than the Democratic Party on gun rights, but more liberal than many Alaskans on topics such as income inequality.
His woodshed is filled with firewood, so he has fewer fears about the winter than his neighbors. Still, he said, he has seen pain in people he knows, like charter boat captains navigating higher fuel prices.
— Anna Griffin
‘I’m putting away a good percentage of my paycheck and it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.’
Cole Gilardi, 25, Cincinnati
Cole Gilardi considers himself lucky. A well-paying job in manufacturing engineering allows him to save for retirement and a down payment on a home. Since he fills up his car’s tank only every other week, gas prices haven’t hit hard, he said.
“I can go out and not worry about getting squeezed,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean he is without worry.
He’s troubled by rising home prices, accelerating national debt, persistent inflation and a stock market seemingly impervious to gravity.
Mr. Gilardi, who doesn’t consider himself a Republican or Democrat, said he voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 and 2024, but has been disappointed by the lack of follow-through on some of his campaign promises.
He expects it may take an additional two years to save enough for a down payment, he said.
“I’m putting away a good percentage of my paycheck,” he said, “and it doesn’t feel like it’s enough.”
— Billy Witz
‘It’s basically gotten to the point where we watch everything.’
Aquanetta and Jarvis Cutter, both 56, Marana, Ariz.
Aquanetta and Jarvis Cutter are constantly calculating: Do they have enough gas for a weekend outing? Can they buy groceries in bulk or wait for the sale? Can they spring for the movies or stick with Netflix?
“It’s basically gotten to the point where we watch everything,” said Ms. Cutter, a customer service representative.
The couple became political independents after they said they felt Democrats had moved too far left. They said they both voted for Mr. Trump in 2024 but are frustrated that Republicans haven’t done enough to bring down prices.
Their S.U.V. needs new shocks, an alternator belt and a coolant flush. The bill? At least $2,000 — too steep to pay for all at once.
At this point, a fancy vacation is a dream, said Mr. Cutter, a hospital compliance analyst.
“With flights being as high as they are now,” he said, “we had to put off a lot of stuff and try to recuperate and save.”
— Reis Thebault
‘Having a mortgage will change our spending habits.’
Tonya Pearsall, 52, Tonopah, Ariz.
Tonya Pearsall knows she and her family are fortunate: Their home is paid off, and expenses are low.
Ms. Pearsall, who said she voted for Mr. Trump in 2024, said the economic downturn wasn’t “changing the way that I live.”
But unexpected costs — like $5,000 to repair their well, paid by credit card — are taking a toll. Ms. Pearsall, who runs a maltipoo puppy breeding business, said they may start feeling squeezed if the economy doesn’t bounce back.
Her family plans to move to a more expensive town: “Having a mortgage will change our spending habits.” She added, “That’s going to be harder.”
— Reis Thebault
‘I have the luxury of being self-employed.’
Matt Gilley, 41, Harpswell, Maine
Matt Gilley, a commercial lobsterman, has a remedy for rising costs: He works more.
“I have the luxury of being self-employed,” he said. “So I can go out and haul for 80 hours and make more money.”
An independent who leans Republican, Mr. Gilley said he voted for Mr. Trump in 2024.
He expects to work more hours this summer, with less help, to contain higher labor costs. Where Mr. Gilley could once entice someone to work by offering a percentage of his profits — which rose and fell with his catch — he now needs to guarantee a daily rate, even if lobsters are scarce.
— Jenna Russell
The post ‘We Watch Everything’: How 9 U.S. Voters Are Handling Their Finances appeared first on New York Times.
