Research Progress Report 269 October, 1966
Consumer Plans for and Content of Consumption as Evidenced by Food Provisioning
Ruby M. Smith and Cleo Fitzsimmons
School of Home Economics

One purpose of the pilot study for NC-76, Major Financial Decisions and Crises in the Family Life Cycle, made for the Region by the Indiana Experiment Station at Purdue University (AES 1412) is to examine means for identifying components of families’ levels of consumption. The term is commonly defined as that part of the level of living which can be identified by observation since it involves only the wealth and services a spending unit uses. However, if identification of differences in levels is attempted, some bases for comparison are needed. In addition, as a first step, separate levels for different kinds of consumption goods should be defined before combinations are suggested for showing overall consumption levels.

Consumption of food as evidenced by planning and measures taken for provisioning was examined in an ancillary study to see what might be done in identifying food consumption levels. Hypotheses were (1) the nature and extent of plans for food provisioning are associated with certain characteristics of families, (2) the content of food consumption is associated with certain characteristics of families, and (3) the content of food consump-
tion is associated with the nature and extent of plans for food provisioning.

Three types of plans were considered. Plans for durable goods included the work area and equipment used in food preparation. Current provisions in the kitchen, of durable items of large equipment and small items used for handling food, were noted. Plans for kitchen improvement and for purchasing large and small equipment were recorded. Long-range plans for gardening, raising of livestock for home food use, quantity purchase of staples, canned goods, meats and produce, and preservation of food made up a second group. The third type of plans were those for short range -- any covering two weeks or less and including making menus, shopping lists, records of expenditures, and obtaining information before shopping.

The content of consumption resulting from food provisioning was obtained by a recall by the homemaker of food served in her household during the preceding 24 hours, a recall of selected foods served in the home during the past seven days, and a record of

Smith, Ruby M., Ph.D. Thesis, Purdue University, September 1966.

PURDUE UNIVERSITY • Agricultural Experiment Station • Lafayette, Indiana