Consumer Expenditure Diary CE Diary

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Burden Statement

How long will the interview take?
We expect that it will take about 9 minutes per day to record your expenditures in the diary.

By law (Title 13, U.S. Code), we must keep your information confidential; we use it for statistical purposes only.

This survey is collected under OMB control number 1220-0050. This survey could not be conducted without a valid OMB control number.

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Please contact us with any questions or concerns. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can reach the Help Desk by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 877-744-1522. Our Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET.

After hours: Please leave your name, phone number, and a detailed message. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Help

User Settings

Please contact us with any questions or concerns. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can reach the Help Desk by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 877-744-1522. Our Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET.

After hours: Please leave your name, phone number, and a detailed message. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

General Instructions

Complete this diary for Week 1 and Week 2 of the two-week period. Enter everything you and the people in your household spend money on each day – the products you buy, the services you use, the household expenses you have during the week – no matter how large or small they are.

We recommend that you record your expenses each day. Think about where you went and what you did.

Include payments by:

Cash
Credit/Debit Card
Automatic Withdrawal/Payroll Deduction
Check
Money Order
Store Charge Card
Food Stamps
WIC Voucher
Gift Certificate

Keep receipts and other records so that you will remember to record what you bought or paid for.

Some record types include:

Receipts
Bank Statements
Catalog/Internet Purchases
Bills
Credit Card Statements
Pay Stubs

Include items that you bought for people who are not in your household, such as gifts.

Do Not Record

Expenses while you were away from home overnight
Business or farm operating expenses
Sales tax, except for Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home

How to Fill Out Your Diary

For each category, please record:

Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home
- Select the date of purchase.
- Enter the name of the restaurant, vendor, or cafeteria where you made this purchase.
- Enter the total cost with tax and tip.
- Mark one of the four choices that best describes where you made the purchase.
- Mark whether alcoholic beverages were included or not, and if yes, enter the cost of the alcoholic beverages.
Food and Drinks for Home Consumption
- Select the date of purchase.
- Enter the name of the store, business, or website where the item was purchased.
- Describe the item.
- Enter the cost without tax and deduct any discounts or coupons.
- Mark whether the item was fresh, frozen, bottled/canned, or other.
Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, and Accessories
- Select the date of purchase.
- Enter the name of the store, business, or website where the item was purchased.
- Describe the item and enter the cost without tax.
- Mark the appropriate sex and age range of the person for whom the item was bought.
All Other Products, Services, and Expenses
- Select the date of purchase.
- Enter the name of the store, business, or website where the item was purchased.
- Describe the item and enter the cost without tax.

Diary Examples

FAQs

What should I do if I forget my Username and Password?

Click on the "Forgot Username" and/or "Forgot Password" links on the login screen. Follow the relevant directions. If you have any issues, call the CE Help Desk at 877-744-1522 or email [email protected].
How detailed should my descriptions be?

Refer to the for examples of the level of detail needed in each part. Do not rely solely on brand names.
How can I delete or make changes to an expense that I've saved?

Locate the saved expense listed under the relevant date in the Expenses section of the main page. Click on the saved expense and make any changes. Click the 'Save' button to save your changes. Click the 'Delete' button to delete your expense.
How should I record multiple quantities?

You may group identical items on the same entry and enter a total cost of all the items, or you may write each item on a separate entry with the individual cost.
How should I record pre-payments such as a subway fare card?

Record the expense when you pay for it, not when you use it.
How should I record credit card purchases?

Record the purchase on the day that you use your credit card to pay for it, not the day you receive or pay your credit card bill.
Should I record automatic deductions taken from my paycheck or bank account?

Yes, record automatic deductions (such as health insurance premiums taken out of your account or paycheck) only if they are deducted that week. Write them in the section called All Other Products, Services, and Expenses.
Should I record typical monthly bills?

Yes, record typical monthly bills only if you pay them during the week that you have the diary. Enter them in the section called All Other Products, Services, and Expenses.
What should I do when I use coupons, discount cards, or loyalty cards?

Subtract the discount from the original price and enter the amount that you paid.
Can I just give you receipts instead of entering the information online?

No, we need you to enter the information into the online diary. We encourage you to save your receipts to review them with your Field Representative at the end of the week.
How should I record items if I don’t know whether it includes tax?

Write down the amount paid.
What if I make a contribution or charitable donation?

Record money contributions or donations in the section called All Other Products, Services, and Expenses.
What about gift certificates or gift cards?

If you buy a gift certificate to give to someone, enter it as a regular expense. If you buy a gift certificate to give to someone, write down the cost of it under the appropriate section (e.g., a certificate to a clothing store would go under Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, and Accessories and a certificate to a department store would go under All Other Products, Services, and Expenses. If you use a gift card, enter the full amount for your purchase as if paid with cash.
What do I do about returns and exchanges?

If an item is bought and returned during the diary period, it can be deleted (see FAQ 3). If it was bought outside the diary period and returned during the period, do not make any entry. If an item is exchanged during the diary period, change or edit the item that was returned to the new item and its cost on the day the exchange was made (see FAQ 3).
Should I record subsidized/reimbursed expenses?

Yes, but if someone not in your household pays for or helps pay for an expense or if you will be reimbursed for an expense, only record the amount that you or someone in your household has to pay.
What should I do about shipping & handling costs?

Include the shipping & handling cost in the total price of the item. If the shipping & handling covered multiple items, include the shipping & handling in the total price of one item from the order.
How do I know what items to report for each type of expense?

Click or tap on the icon next to each expense type category.

Definitions

Date Purchased

select the date from this list on which the meal or item was purchased. The dates available reflect the data collection period for your household’s diary keeping period.

Describe item or expense

Type in a brief description of your purchase. Be as specific as possible.

Where did you make this purchase? (Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home)

Select the type of place where the Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home was purchased by someone in your household. For example:

Fast Food, Delivery, Take-out, or Concessions: you pay before you eat or drink;
Full Service Places: you pay after you eat or drink;
Vending Machines or Mobile Vendors/Food Trucks: include vending machines, carts, and food trucks that move from place to place;
Employer or School Cafeterias: includes school meal pre-payments.

Were alcoholic beverages included? (Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home)

If beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages were purchased, select the yes box.

Is this item? (Food and Drinks for Home Consumption)

Select the nature or type of packaging for the Food and Drinks for Home Consumption that was purchased. For example: Fresh, Frozen, Bottled/Canned, or Other.

Business (Enter Business Name)

Type in the name of the store, restaurant, or website where the item was purchased.

Was the item for: (Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, and Accessories)

Select the age range and gender of the person for which clothing, shoes, jewelry, or accessories was purchased. For example: Under 2 years old, Boy 2 to 15 years old, Girl 2 to 15 years old, Man 16 year and over, or Woman 16 year and over.