the almanac J A N U A RY 4, 2026
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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LEAVE A PENNY ASSOCIATED PRESS
A shopping cart full of Barbie dolls in a Kohl’s department store in Georgia.
Holiday debt can be one form of a Christmas hangover GARRETT NEESE
Deneen Rhodes, manager of RBG Coffee in Waynesburg, holds a cup of pennies used for change in the coffeehouse Thursday. Despite penny shortages reported nationally with the end of penny production, several local businesses said they had yet to experience any problems.
Businesses plan for change as penny pipeline shuts down By Garrett Neese gneese@greenecountymessenger.com
The familiar “take a penny, leave a penny” sign at counters relied on the coin being a part of everyday life. November’s halt to the minting of new pennies is leading to new signs in some retailers — ones warning the customers of a shortage. But, while local businesses are bracing for change, several said for now, they’re still getting the pennies they need. The last penny rolled off the line at the Philadelphia U.S. Mint on Nov. 12. The Department of the Treasury ordered the end of the 232-year-old coin in the fall. It’s been costing the government more to make the penny. Each Lincoln-stamped coin going into circulation in 2024 cost 3.69 cents to produce, according to the U.S. Mint, an expense being sunk into a coin seeing less and less use. As of 2024, only 14% of consumer payments used cash, the Federal Reserve said in a report this year. That figure is still 100% at Osso’s Orig-
inal Pizza, a cash-only business in Washington, said Mindy Osso, a family member who works at the restaurant. As the penny disappears, they’ll be adjusting prices to compensate — probably downward, she said. “They’re like, ‘I don’t want to pay extra, rounding up.’ They don’t mind it rounding down,” she said. Potter’s Bar & Grill in Uniontown, once cash-only, started accepting cards a decade ago, said manager Harison Lasky, part of the family that owns the restaurant. About 30% to 35% of customers still use cash in a given week. “It hasn't affected us yet, and we're just gonna cross that bridge when we get to it,” he said. “Not much we can do about it anyways, right?” He’s hoping the restaurant’s pointof-sale system is updated to take out the guesswork by rounding up or rounding down.
reserves. “I can't see the state going down to 5%,” he said. “Jumping up to 10% would be a big jump at once.” No bills proposing adjustments to the state sales tax have been introduced yet. Jeffrey Johnson, communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, said in the absence of guidance from the Trump administration, the department is working to develop additional advice for businesses seeking answers. “While vendors or retailers may choose to round up or down, the Department of Revenue would still expect the appropriate sales tax to be calculated based on the purchase price prior to any rounding,” he said in an emailed statement. At RBG Coffee in Waynesburg, they’re “just waiting until we can’t get them anymore” before they figure out how to address it, said manager Deneen Rhodes. About 30% of customers are still payLasky’s not against the change. He ing with cash, she said. They’ll probably thinks it would work best if paired with wind up rounding up or down, though a change in the state sales tax — at 6%, SEE PENNY PAGE A2 nearly guaranteed to draw down penny
By Brad Hundt
bhundt@observer-reporter.com
“And so this is the day after Christmas And what have you done? Spent all of your paycheck And had too much fun.” This slight rewrite of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas” can be the lament of a lot of people when Dec. 26 rolls around. Maybe Christmas revelers had one too many cups of eggnog or sidestepped their diet for a week or two and are skittish about setting foot on the bathroom scale again. A problem that can, however, last long after the tree is down and the gym membership is renewed is the debt hangover that Christmas generates for many consumers. In 2024, 36% of Americans took on additional debt during the holiday season, according to Lending Tree. The average amount of that debt was a little more than $1,100 per person, with most of that debt added to credit cards or taken on through installment loans. This year, Lending Tree reports the number of Americans accumulating debt is expected to go up 1% from last year and reach $1,200 per person. Matt Schulz, the chief consumer finance analyst for Lending Tree, told CNBC that inflation and tariffs “keep straining household budgets, and that strain becomes especially clear during the holidays. Even sticking to the same shopping list as last year can cost more now.” A discounted pair of jeans or a flat-screen TV that’s 50% off can seem like a wise purchase in the moment, especially amid the cheerful bustle of a store or during an online flash sale, but it can end up costing consumers more if they just add it onto a credit card that has a high interest rate, according to Joe Piszczor, a Washington-based financial advisor. Right now, the average credit card interest rate is about 24%. “You want to make Christmas special,” Piszczor said, but it shouldn’t mean sacrificing long-term financial health, he added. “It’s a more difficult environment.” Piszczor and other financial advisors said it’s important to set up a payoff schedule when it comes to holiday debt, or really any debt at any time of year. Having a cushion for emergencies like home or auto repairs is critical, he pointed out. SEE DEBT PAGE A2
Keep resolutions by setting realistic goals By Karen Mansfield
kmansfield@observer-reporter.com
With the new year - 2026! - just days away, many people are starting to think about what kinds of changes – big and small – they’d like to make in their lives. Some people don’t participate in New Year’s resolutions, but many feel the pressure to start off the new year with specific goals. On average, resolutions don’t last long, with many failing within the first month or two: the second Friday in January, often called “Quitter’s Day,” is a common time when hordes of people throw in the towel and revert to their old ways.
While nearly half of Americans make New Year's resolutions, only about 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days, according to Columbia University, and even fewer – less than 10% – accomplish their goals. Why do resolutions fail so often? They often fail because people get “overambitious with their goals,” said Dr. Alicia J. Kaplan, medical director of the Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Adult Anxiety. Setting resolutions can be a good idea, Kaplan said. “Emotionally, it gives us a sense of feeling like we have a fresh start, a concrete start,
LOCATION Former reporter pulls from personal life in book PAGE A4 What’s happening, B3
and our brains like that,” said Kaplan. “There are plusses toward it, but sometimes we tend to get overambitious with our goals and when they’re too big or too vague, they’re unachievable, and that can set us up for a lack of momentum.” Kaplan said that when it comes to setting goals and kicking habits, it’s best to start small. “It’s better to have small, achievable goals that give us the benefit of seeing small changes and not having unrealistic expectations that we might start off strong but start to wane when we don’t meet those goals,” said Kaplan. Bake habits into your
schedule. “Put it on the calendar, set the alarm,” said Kaplan. “Accountability is huge. Set a small attainable goal that is measured, like taking a 20-minute walk, and follow through with that realistic expectation.” Apps and habit trackers can be helpful, Kaplan said, because they can send reminders that cue your behavior. “We have different levels of motivation. Right before New Year's, we're all pumped up, but the reality is that different influences, like the post-holiday blues, can impact our motivation and we have to say, ‘OK, how do I get that motivation level up?’” said Kaplan.
SPORTS Mt. Lebanon to name football field after Art Walker Sr. PAGE B1 Classifieds, B4
METROCREATIVE
Rather than making lofty resolutions, set achievable goals that offer the benefit of seeing small changes.
Having a buddy to help keep each other on track is a good option. “Telling a spouse or a friend about your goal and having them help you out can help keep your motivation
up,” she said. And, said Kaplan, stay positive and don’t be hard on yourself. Prepare for setbacks. SEE GOALS PAGE A2
SIGHTS & SOUNDS History Center honors Franco Harris PAGE B3 Real estate transactions, A6