It’s tough for Wisconsin families right now, as surging gas and grocery prices, rising utility rates, and steep childcare and summer program costs are putting a major squeeze on summer budgets.
Desirae Sollman is a mom who lives in Eau Claire. She feels like many others across the state do: While summer is advertised as a time for vacations, festivals, and carefree fun, the current economic climate in Wisconsin makes all of that feel out of reach.
“We’re a Wisconsin family of four with two full-time working parents, and this summer we’ve cut back on camping, activities, and home projects because groceries, gas, and everyday costs keep rising,” Desirae told UpNorthNews. “Budgeting has always been part of adulthood, but lately it feels like there’s nothing left after the necessities.”
“Even a babysitter for a date night feels out of reach, and experiences that once seemed possible now don’t.”
Desirae is disheartened over missed memories. “As our kids get older, I always imagined this would be the season of making unforgettable family memories, and it’s hard not to feel like the rising cost of living has put a price tag on summers with my children,” she said. “I know we’re far from alone.”
Anna Ellingson is another busy mom in Eau Claire who said her family has had to make difficult decisions this summer because of increasing expenses.
“We are a single-income household, with my husband working full-time while I am a full-time student,” Anna explained. “During the summer months, I am home caring for our three young children.”
“We work hard to budget responsibly, but the rising cost of activities has meant scaling back opportunities that we would have loved to provide for our children.”
Anna said current costs make participation in community life feel out of reach. ”Summer activities provide children with opportunities to learn, socialize, stay active, and build confidence, and it’s a bummer that financial barriers limit the opportunity to participate.”
Who’s responsible for Wisconsin’s high cost of living?
An April 2026 survey by the Institute for Reforming Government found 7 in 10 Wisconsin voters feel the state is in a cost-of-living crisis, with 42% naming inflation and living costs as their single most important concern.
Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers attribute the high cost of living directly to US Republican Reps. Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden’s legislative voting records, which align with the Trump administration’s MAGA economic agenda.
Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick) and Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) joined forces this month to point out that Van Orden, who is trying to hold onto his 3rd Congressional District seat, and Tiffany, who wants to be Wisconsin’s next governor, have been faithful to Trump, voting for his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” with its historic cuts to Medicaid and food assistance that will fall especially hard on rural areas.
They said Tiffany has been an enthusiastic supporter of the MAGA agenda: supporting Trump’s tariffs that hike costs for American consumers, giving billionaires more tax cuts paid for by cutting health care and food assistance for seniors and low income families, and refusing to extend tax credits that help millions of working class people have health care.
Wisconsin farm photo op
At a June agricultural roundtable on a Chippewa County farm, alongside President Donald Trump, Tiffany and Van Orden called Trump “great” for American farmers and expressed how thrilling it was to have the president in Wisconsin.
But Smith said Trump and Tiffany have made life more expensive for working Wisconsinites. Because of Tiffany’s rubber-stampings, he said, inflation has skyrocketed, gas prices have risen, and utility costs are out of control.
Smith said the policies aren’t “great”—and that “Wisconsinites know the reality.” He said Wisconsin households are paying about $2,300 more on average for everyday essentials since Trump took office, referencing a report that also found people are spending $477 more for housing expenses, such as rent or mortgage payments, and $368 more for transportation costs, such as for a new or used car, car repairs, and gas.
Smith also discussed a report on inflation. “Working Wisconsinites are working just as hard for dollars that don’t go as far,” he said.
Inflation rose to 4.2% in May, the highest in three years. Wages are not keeping up, with food up 3% and energy up 23.5%, according to the report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“The same paycheck two years ago covers less, which means folks can’t provide for themselves or their families the same as they were able to before. It also means that businesses have higher input costs and have to raise prices on consumers to make up that difference. It means that it’s more expensive for farmers to plant crops. And with tariff taxes cutting profits, it means they don’t make as much when they sell,” said Smith.
During the president’s visit, protesters gathered near Custer Farms and at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, where Trump landed, to draw attention to rising costs under his administration.
“It makes me sad when I think of people who have families who are trying to buy groceries, and gasoline to take their children to events—it’s just unfortunate,” said Joanie Lindau of Eau Claire. “It shouldn’t be that way.”
“I don’t feel we’re getting help from the top. It’s only getting worse and it’s disappointing.”
Catherine from La Crosse told UpNorthNews she drove nearly two hours to show her displeasure at the administration and the votes supporting MAGA policies.
“All you have to do is go to the grocery store—nothing is affordable,” Catherine said. “It’s outrageous what’s happening to our country.”
Sen. Kelda Roys, Democratic candidate for governor, came from Madison to join protesters in Eau Claire. “Trump didn’t do all this by himself—of course his best henchman has been Tom Tiffany,” she said.
“Wisconsin voters gave him the privilege of representing us in Madison and Washington and every single chance he’s voted to screw us over raising our gas prices, supporting the illegal tariffs that are putting farmers out of business, cutting our healthcare costs,” Roys said. “All so Donald Trump and his sons can build a ballroom in Washington.”
From her home in Holmen, retired teacher and county supervisor Vicki Burke told UpNorthNews seniors living on a fixed income are having a harder time with increases and are having to make tough choices, too. “In my 81 years, I have never seen anything like what is happening at the federal level,” Burke said. “There’s no accountability on anything—the vanity projects.”
“They’re not remembering the responsibility to constituents. They’re not concerned our inflation is rising—people are hurting.”
Commemorating hardships with empty holiday grills
Another Democrat criticized the economic impact on farmers specifically.
“Because of the war, diesel prices hit record highs in Wisconsin last month, up 80% from the year before, and global fertilizer prices have jumped 50% in recent months,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin said. “Farmers are paying more for their inputs and getting paid less for their outputs because of President Trump and my Republican colleagues in Congress and their policies.”
“For many farmers, this means an impossible choice: sell at a loss or pay to store crops and hope that prices improve in the future.”
A local kidney bean farmer said a direct hit to her company has been hard.
“Chippewa Valley Bean cannot ship beans to our customers in Dubai, because vessels cannot transit the Strait of Hormuz,” Cindy Brown said. “Now, on top of that, other freight costs into the Gulf have increased by $4,000 a load, and we can’t afford those prices, nor can our customers.”
She said Republican support for the Iran war was disappointing and that she isn’t the only farmer being harmed.
According to the latest informal Wisconsin Farm Bureau Marketbasket survey, the total cost of 12 common food items used to host a summer cookout for ten people totaled $75.50, an increase of 7.5% from last year’s state average. At $7.55 per person, this price marks the highest total for the summer Marketbasket survey since its inception in 2013.
“Wisconsinites can expect to see a higher total when shopping for their Fourth of July barbecue,” said Cassie Sonnentag of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. “From availability to inflation, we are seeing increases across many of the food items on the shopping list.”
Fluctuating prices at the grocery store are not an indication of higher paychecks for farmers, Sonnetag said. Increased on-farm costs on inputs like fuel and fertilizer continue to impact farmers’ bottom dollar.
“Farmers are price takers, not price makers,” said Sonnentag. “Costs on the farm continue to rise while farmers continue to receive less than six cents of the food dollar after accounting for expenses.”
Why are electric bills so high?
Gas prices in the state spiked to over $4.00 per gallon earlier this spring and are projected to hover around $3.75 per gallon over the July 4th holiday. William Garcia, chair of the 3rd Congressional District Democrats of Wisconsin, was also at the protest.
He said, “Gas is a foundational expense for all costs—so when gas prices go up, the cost of everything goes up, and that means we’re paying more at the pump, we’re paying more at the grocery store, we’re paying more for basic goods—everything is more expensive.”
Residents also point to Tiffany’s votes against green energy legislation and his historical support for policies that repealed billions in clean energy investments. They also showcase his votes as a Wisconsin state legislator to cut funding for the Citizens Utility Board, a watchdog group designed to advocate for lower consumer utility rates.
Rep. Phelps said constituents tell him that they’re using the same amount of electricity, but their bills are going up. “Out in DC, Congressman Tom Tiffany voted for MAGA policies that have increased costs for the average American family by nearly $181 on utility bills in 2025,” Phelps said.
An April 2026 poll by Wisconsin Conservation Voters revealed that 84% of voters across political affiliations are concerned about the rising cost of electricity.
“Tiffany voted to gut the consumer watchdog that protects the public from utility company rate hikes,” Phelps said. “He was completely willing to let utility companies go unchecked and let them raise rates on working Wisconsinites over and over again.”
RELATED: Tom Tiffany says affordability is a priority, so what does his record say on gas and utilities?
In Congress, Tiffany also refused to extend tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Tiffany’s opposition to helping hard-working Wisconsinites is driving up health insurance premiums and could result in tens of thousands of state residents losing health insurance coverage and everyone paying more.
“All this last year, Donald Trump has done everything but bring down costs, and Tom Tiffany has been there cheerleading and voting for the policies that are making it more expensive for hard-working Wisconsinites to make ends meet,” said A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne.
Uniting to protect wallets
Sen. Jamie Wall (D-Green Bay) and Rep. Ryan Spaude (D-Ashwaubenon) recently hosted “Office Hours on the Bus.” The two climbed on the Green Bay Metro and listened to whatever people wanted to talk about. Spaude said he came away with an overwhelming message: “It’s a challenging time for just about everybody in our community.”
“When I rode the bus with Sen. Wall, I heard directly from constituents who are struggling to make it to the end of the month,” Spaude said. “We’re never going to stop fighting to lower costs and get more money in people’s pockets.”
While Democratic lawmakers are working to battle the concerns, Garcia said voting is the most powerful mechanism people have to retain leaders who support their financial interests or replace those who do not.
“Tom Tiffany voted for all of this. Derrick Van Orden voted for all of this,” Garcia said. “That means that in November we have the option to make a change and say this is the wrong course for America—we’re going to go in a different direction.”
“Get out, vote, support the people who you support, and make sure to take your friends to go vote.”
