Coffee, fuel costs sharpen household squeeze ahead of US midterms
For Nicholas Kolacz, a coffee that costs $10 after a tip has become a once-a-week treat. His budget is one small example of the cost
For Nicholas Kolacz, a coffee that costs $10 after a tip has become a once-a-week treat. His budget is one small example of the cost pressures Americans are weighing as they head into midterm elections this week.
Kolacz, a delivery driver in Lansing, Michigan, earns $17.50 an hour. After rent and bills, he says, little is left for extras. He used to visit the Hob Nob cafe three or four times a week; now he goes on Sundays. Even purchases he still makes come with a calculation: how many hours of work will pay for them?
Everyday prices, tighter choices
The coffee costs $10 with a tip, or about $14.20 in Australian dollars. In New York, a breakfast of coffee, orange juice and a bagel with lox that once cost $5 came to $31 at a no-frills diner this week, about $44 in Australian dollars.
The comparisons capture how sharply routine spending can weigh on household budgets. Kolacz says he stopped buying beer long ago and now scrutinizes discretionary purchases against his hourly pay. The strain is not confined to one city: the examples from Michigan and Manhattan show how everyday costs have become a personal test of affordability.
And voters are about to weigh in.
Cost of living enters a national vote
The midterm elections on Tuesday will determine which party controls Congress. President Donald Trump has held dozens of campaign rallies ahead of the vote, and cost of living has been among the everyday concerns he has addressed. Polls cited in recent election coverage suggest Democrats could make gains, turning the contest into a judgment on Trump’s second term.
Michigan’s Senate race has also taken an unexpected turn. Representative Haley Stevens, who lost the Democratic primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday, two days before the election. Stevens said she was no longer part of El-Sayed’s campaign.
For households, the immediate concern remains what their paychecks can cover. Kolacz says he measures purchases in working hours. As voters cast ballots Tuesday, the cost of routine items such as coffee will remain part of the broader debate over living costs and the direction of the country.
