Pew survey<\/a> earlier this year found that 94% of Americans were at least somewhat concerned about rising food and consumer goods prices.<\/p>\nThat was nearly identical to two years earlier, even though the staggering jumps in food prices that hit the US and other countries after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine have subsided.<\/p>\n
Dylan Garcia, a 26-year-old security guard from Brooklyn, says he\u2019s never struggled to buy groceries as much as he has now.<\/p>\n
Instead of the fresh food and brand-name items he used to enjoy, he now stocks up on ramen noodles and frozen vegetables – and only eats twice a day because he can’t afford more.<\/p>\n
At checkout, he routinely uses “buy now, pay later\u201d schemes, which allow him to pay the bill in installments, but have led to mounting debt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m stuck in a loop,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s become an insecurity to pull up my phone at the register and have to use these programmes. When they see me, it\u2019s embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Garcia, who has long voted for Democrats, says his precarious financial situation has made him lose hope in politics and he does not plan to vote in November’s election.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think the government has our best interest and I don\u2019t think they care,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
John Wirick<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nTrump voter Katie Walsh says her makeup business slowed as people cut back<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
The White House maintains Mr Biden has been engaged on issues of food affordability, fighting to increase food stamp benefits and other government aid, initiatives opposed by Republicans. <\/p>\n
At last month’s presidential debate, the first question was on inflation, and Mr Biden sought to shift blame to big companies, accusing them of price gouging \u2013 <\/b>a claim that is hotly disputed among economists.<\/p>\n
But despite strong job creation and low unemployment, opinion polls show voters continue to trust Mr Biden’s opponent, former President Donald Trump, more on economic issues.<\/p>\n
On the CNN debate stage, the Republican White House candidate blamed Mr Biden for stoking inflation, which the White House denies, and said: \u201cIt’s killing people. They can’t buy groceries anymore. They can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Trump campaign in turn denies that policies he proposes – including a 10% tariff on all goods coming into the US – would worsen price rises, as many analysts predict. <\/p>\n
“We believe that a second Trump term would have a negative impact on the US’s economic standing in the world, and a destabilizing effect on the US’s domestic economy,” wrote 16 Nobel prize-winning economists in an open letter last month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Republicans have accused Mr Biden of trying to mislead the public about the extent of the inflation problem, noting that Mr Biden has claimed, incorrectly, that inflation was already at 9% when he entered office. It was 1.4%.<\/p>\n
Katie Walsh, a makeup artist in Pennsylvania, voted for Trump in 2020 and says she plans to do so again, based on his economic record.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old says her family has struggled to keep up with inflation, especially since her business has slowed, as people squeezed by higher prices cut back.<\/p>\n
“I know he’s a big fat mouth,” she says of Mr Trump. “But he at least knows how to run the economy.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
handout<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nStephen Lemelin, a Michigan Democrat, says his grocery bill is getting lower<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Analysts say it is clear that the economy is important to voters, but less clear it will prove decisive in the November election.<\/p>\n
In 2022, when inflation was at its worst, Democrats did better than expected in mid-term elections, as concerns about abortion access drove supporters to the polls. <\/p>\n
This time around, issues such as immigration and fitness for office are also top of many voters’ minds, while economic trends appear to be moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n
Grocery prices were up just 1% over the past 12 months, well within historic norms; and the cost of a few items, including rice, fish, apples, potatoes, and milk, has even come down a bit.<\/p>\n
As major chains such as Target, Amazon and Walmart announce price cuts in recent weeks, there are signs the situation could continue to improve.<\/p>\n
Some analysts also expect wages, which have increased but trailed the leap in overall prices, to finally catch up this year, providing further relief.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re on the right track,\u201d says Sarah Foster, who follows the economy for Bankrate.com. \u201cWage growth has slowed, price growth has slowed but, you know, prices are slowing at a much faster rate than wages.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Stephen Lemelin, a 49-year-old father of two from Michigan, another electoral battleground, says he was pleasantly surprised by lower prices on a recent supermarket trip.<\/p>\n
Whatever his concerns about the economy, the military veteran says his support for Mr Biden, who got his vote in 2020, has never been in doubt, given that he sees Trump as a threat to democracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody likes high interest rates or high inflation but that\u2019s not under presidential control,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you know politics, there\u2019s really only one choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
More on the election<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n