More people are borrowing small amounts just to cover basic bills, a bad sign for household finances and for the economy.

• Gas is above $4, up from $3 a year ago, blamed on the Middle East war closing off oil shipping routes.
• Buy-now-pay-later borrowing hit $160 billion last year, double the level of two years earlier.
• These loans now cover utilities, phone bills, health insurance, even rent — with interest rates as high as 36% and heavy late fees.
• Consumer spending fell in July as people dip into savings, put bills on credit cards, and skip meals to get by.
• Washington is spending tens of billions restocking missiles used in the Middle East while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which policed these lenders, has been gutted.

Outlook: With gas and food still expensive and consumer protections rolled back, expect more households to fall deeper into short-term debt and Trump's approval on the economy to keep sinking.