John is a fan of dollar stores and shopping at the discount retailers makes it pretty clear to him that President Trump hasn't kept his campaign promise to cut prices.
"Well, it became the '$1.25 store' under Biden," John said in an interview at his kitchen table in Philadelphia. "Now because of the tariffs and because of everything, a lot of stuff is $1.50, $1.75."
John, 60, is one of about a dozen swing voters from swing states participating in a long-term NPR reporting project called Swing Shift. We've agreed not to use their full names so they can speak freely about politics without fear of personal or professional repercussions.
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With the arrival of Labor Day weekend, the final sprint to this fall's midterm elections is underway. And there's little question what the top issue is for voters: affordability.
"I don't know how people today can be homeowners, so I worry about that. And just food," John said.
John lives in Northern Philly with his wife and adult son who has autism. John's daughter just got married and his pride in his kids is infectious. The recent retiree still works part time as a security guard.
While he describes his economic condition as "stressed," John said he's luckier than most.
"I've never made more than $60,000 a year," John said. "Now, when I was a kid, that would be upper middle class. I don't even know if that would be lower middle class now."
Like all the Swing Shift voters, John has a history of voting for both parties. John voted for Trump in 2024 and also in 2016. In 2020, he backed Joe Biden, but quickly soured on his presidency as inflation spiked post-COVID.
He doesn't think the current president has kept his promises, though. He said it was a mistake for Trump to say he'd cut prices if he wasn't going to be able to deliver.
His grade for the president's performance on the job is a C. A few months ago, it was a B+.
Stephen, 52, lives nearby in a Philadelphia suburb. He's disabled and is only able to work part time in a low wage, hourly job. Stephen works hard but there often isn't much left after his rent and car payment.
"There are some months that I do run out of food," Stephen said, seated on a high stool at his small kitchen table.
When the price of meat or eggs is elevated, he feels it.
"You can't expect people like me on a fixed income to pay" so much for food staples, he said.
He thinks tariffs and the war with Iran are both hurting the economy, but what really got to him recently was looking up the price of concert tickets to see the Canadian rock band Rush. The band is one of his favorites and they recently came through Philadelphia. Seeing them live would be a "once in a lifetime" experience, he thought.
But then he saw how much it would cost for a nosebleed seat.
"I love them, but I may as well watch them on Youtube," he said, adding that the $200 ticket price would be better spent taking care of his car inspection.
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Stephen is a Biden to Trump voter, but less than two years into his term, he'd grade President Trump's performance on the job with a D.
"I know that he's a businessman, don't get me wrong, but he has to focus on what people want, not what he wants," Stephen said. "He's a real estate billionaire, but what about people like myself, who are not billionaires?"
This is in line with public polls that find the overwhelming majority of Americans think the president is focused on the wrong priorities. Still, both Stephen and John say, given the options, they'd vote the same way today as they did in 2024.
Colleen, 49, has two daughters and three dogs. She works, but like so many moms, is overcommitted volunteering with various school and sports activities.
And like a lot of kids right now, Colleen's daughters are obsessed with those squishy fidget toys called Nee Doh's. Over summer break, they were going from store to store looking for them.
"We're driving all over creation," Colleen said. "It's insane. So yeah, the whole gas thing is kind of like I'm paying attention to because I'm filling up my tank an awful lot."
Colleen feels economically secure, she and her husband aren't living paycheck to paycheck. But they're not totally comfortable and don't have much cushion if something were to go wrong.
Colleen doesn't have a lot of time for news and politics and when asked about her news diet, she just laughs. She mused about how great it is living under a rock while everyone else fights about politics. She voted for Trump in 2016, but not since.
"I mean, he talked a good game," she said. "He sounded like he was going to make a positive change and get things done."
But, pretty quickly, she said he went "bonkers."
Her grade for him now is a D-. And she says that's because she can't give anyone an F. She's concerned about education, youth mental health and the homelessness she sees on the streets in Pittsburgh and wishes there was more focus on what's needed here at home.
"I just feel like we're in places we shouldn't be. We're messing with people we shouldn't be messing with," she said, referring to the war with Iran. "We're arguing and fighting over I don't even know what." "And for me, I go to the gas pump and I'm like, 'what do you mean I have to pay that much?'" she added. "I just looked and milk is like five something a gallon. I'm like, 'When did that happen?'"
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