Why the Cost of Living Crisis could be Democracy's greatest threat

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When Your Budget Feels Like a Bad Game Show

Remember when filling up your grocery cart felt predictable, and not like getting the price of every item wrong on The Price is Right? Today, many Americans struggle with essential expenses like housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and education, turning each month into a strategic game of "What's getting cut this time?"

A recent LendingTree survey published in the New York Times this month shows a quarter of Americans are now paying for groceries with “buy now, pay later” plans amid high prices, economic uncertainty, and fear of recession.

And in 2024 alone, 73% of middle-income families tightened their belts so much they practically disappeared — choosing store brands, skipping restaurants, and praying the car wouldn't break down. About 59% of these same families say they couldn't handle a $1,000 emergency.

Promises, Politics, and a Punch in the Wallet

While disastrous trade policies, chaotic tariffs, and draconian deportations of critical workers is sure to drive up costs further, the current cost-of-living crisis predates Donald Trump, and Democrats are not blameless. The pain so many Americans are feeling is shaped by policies enacted by both major political parties. And its obvious that Trump tapped into something powerful for so many Americans when he called out loudly — and repeatedly — that life was just too expensive. But shouting the obvious hasn’t magically shrunk the price of eggs or cool housing markets where rents jumped 6.2% last year alone. The promises have proved empty.

https://www.brightamerica.org/p/why-the-cost-of-living-crisis-could