New report shows Pennsylvania households are finding it less difficult to pay expenses

While the pandemic presented many challenges for Pennsylvania families, it appears as though household budgets are recovering better than expected. In fact, in a new Census Bureau survey, the majority of Pennsylvanians have reported that it is “not at all difficult” to pay their usual expenses.

According to new data from the US Census Bureau, only about 216,000 Pennsylvanians from ages 18 to 65+ reported that it was “very difficult” to pay their usual household expenses, while 446,170 Pennsylvanians reported that it was “not at all difficult.”

In the same survey, 481,474 respondents said they “never” reduced or forewent basic household, such as medicine or food, in order to pay energy bills, which was more than double the number of respondents answering, “some months,” “one or two months,” or “almost every month.”

In addition, over 7 million Pennsylvanians spent money shopping in stores, while over 4 million respondents said they dined indoors at restaurants between 2021 and 2022.

According to Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, the average household spent $3,694 annually on entertainment and $2,570 on household operations such as babysitting and elderly care, household services, childcare, and household supplies. 

As of March 2nd, the state of Pennsylvania lifted COVID-19 mitigation measures for fully vaccinated people. All events, venues, and businesses will operate at 100% capacity, with vaccine and mask restrictions varying depending on the business or event’s protocol. It remains to be seen what these changes will mean for Pennsylvanians’ spending patterns in 2022.

Reprinted from Northwest Lake Times