Voters say economy is top election issue as shoppers feel price squeeze

With exactly one week until election day, money is top of mind for many voters. A new PBS poll finds the cost of living is the number one issue for likely voters at 34 percent. And preserving democracy is close behind at 33 percent and immigration trails at 12 percent. Nearly four in 10 likely voters say their family finances are worse now than they were a year ago. All right, Fox 5's Jodi Goldberg talked to voters on Long Island about where they're feeling the squeeze the most Jody, Stephen and Natasha when we ask shoppers what exactly they're paying more for they almost always have the same answer: everything and we ask for specifics whether it's household groceries or utility bills they say their money isn't going as far as it used to gas to groceries housing food everything clothing everything's gone up except for the pay at the jobs it doesn't take an expert to tell consumers prices keep going up. I used to buy the sourdough pretzels. They were maybe on sale two for five. They're $4.99 each bag. My dog food is more. A bag of dog food that cost $70 earlier this year is now close to $100. Even a basic can of soup carries a significantly higher price tag. I used to pay like $2.40 a can. It's now $3.70 something. And the price increases go far beyond the grocery aisle. Latest federal numbers show consumer prices up 3.7 percent over the past year, with higher energy costs largely behind the increase. Diesel fuel is now six dollars a gallon and diesel fuel drives everything, food, clothing, supplies, transportation. And the numbers show just how hard it is. According to Urban Institute, nearly half of people in American families can't afford basic necessities and Pew Research found that 70 percent of Americans cut back on extras while more than half can't save for the future blueberries high really high my cereal it was about three something and now it's 7.89 steak pork chops hamburger meat you name it seem like everything double the financial squeeze is also showing up directly on household electric and utility bills. It's about 50% higher, maybe even more. Gas, just everything. $15 for one package of chicken. Shoppers say it's not just what they're paying, it's how often prices keep shifting. I think it fluctuates from week to week. Every time I go, everything is up a little. And now go figure when I ask shoppers what they'd like to see go down in price, the answer was the same as going up, everything.