MANUAL

377.21 (Continued)

Then ask "In what months do you prefer that we mail these forms?" If
the respondent suggest the months or gives any other indication of
cooperation, check "yes" and note the months she prefers. If she flatly
refuses to cooperate, check "no" and indicate why. The difference
between the question on the form and the question we suggest that you
ask represents loading the question to get the answer we want, which is
"yes", provided a check in the "yes" box indicates the housewife will
cooperate.

378

378.1

Detailed Instructions for Face Sheet

378.2

Item 1. Enter the dates of the 1st and 7th days of the period covered, that is of the last 7 days prior to the day you filled in BLS 1847-C.

Item 2. Number of meals eaten during this 7-day period. Transfer from Section B of BLS 1847-B, lines number 1 to 10, the record of family membership, relationship and age. Be sure to include all persons who are family members at the time of the interview.

378.21 Enter in columns (a), (b) and (c) the number of meals eaten in the 7-day period by each member of the consumer unit.

378.22 Column (a). Prepared at home.

Prepared at home. Enter the number of meals each member ate, which were prepared at home from the family food supply. Include meals served at home and meals carried away from home, as lunches, food for picnics, etc. If lunch carried from home is supplemented with purchased food, include it as a meal prepared at home. For infants report the number of meals as follows:

If bottle-fed or "on formula" = 21 meals.

If breast-fed = same number of meals as mother.

378.23 Column (b). Bought, away from home. Enter the number of meals bought in restaurants, cafeterias, lunch counters, drug stores, and all other eating places. Include meals paid for family members as board, and meals paid for children at school, day nurseries, day-care centers, etc. 378.24 Column (c). Other, away from home. Enter the number of all other meals eaten in the 7-day period which were not included in columns (a) or (b). Include meals received as guests, free lunch at school or work, etc.

378.25 The total number of meals eaten by each family member and reported in columns (a), (b) and (c) should add to 21 if each family member ate the normal 3 meals per day. If less or more than 21 meals is shown for any one member, explain the situation in a note such as, "Family eats only 2 meals on Sunday," "Never eats breakfast," "Missed meals because of illness," etc.

MANUAL

378.3

378.4

Include all meals
Count meals

Item 3. Number of meals served to guests, etc.
served at home to persons other than family members.
served to guests, boarders, paid help.

Item 4. Money spent in eating places for food. Get your respondent's best estimate of the amount spent by all members of the consumer unit in the 7-day period, in restaurants, boarding houses, and other eating and drinking places. Include money spent in the city and while out of the city; at school, at work, and elsewhere.

Get a separate estimate for money spent during the past 7 days on:

(a) Meals, light lunches, etc.;

(b) Alcoholic drinks;

(c) Tips;

(a) Ice cream, candy, soft drinks, chewing gum, etc.

Enter here the amount spent to supplement meals prepared at home.

379

379.1

379.2

General Instructions for Use of BLS 1847-C1.

Introduction. You may introduce this form to your respondent by
letting her follow either this form or BLS 1847-C, while you are
completing that form. Do this so that she will be familiar with our
methods when she completes BLS 1847-C1 and so that she can see that
BLS 1847-C1 is considerably simpler in that the last purchase question
has been deleted throughout.

Preparation of Face Sheet. You are to prepare the face sheet insofar as you can.

379.21 Enter the schedule number, city, and address in the spaces provided. Copy these from the information on the face sheet of BLS 1847-C, being careful that the address is complete and correct.

379.22 Item 1.

Asx respondent what seven days she wishes to use. These must not overlap with the 7-day period covered by BLS 1847-C. We would prefer that she report on the next 7-day period, but you are to enter a later period if your respondent wishes to wait a few days. After determining the period, enter the appropriate dates.

379.23 Items 2, 3, and 4. Ask whether your respondent expects that the same family members will be present during that period. If so, copy family member information from 1847-C. Explain how entries are to be made for number of meals eaten, and how to complete items 3 and 4 on the face sheet.

Survey of Consumer

S-379.3

379.3

379.4

BLS 1847-C AND BLS 1847-C1

MANUAL

Instruct Respondent on Completing Form. Review with your respondent
the correct method of reporting purchases. Show her how you entered
number of units bought in column (a), unit and unit size in column (b),
price in column (c), and total expense in column (d) on the BLS 1847-C
that you have just completed, if you did not do so while filling in
BLS 1847-C.

Ask her not to write in column (e) and explain briefly the purpose of the machine tabulating code column as this may tactfully suggest to her that legibility will be helpful.

Personal Care Items (page 15).

379.41 Preparation of Part 3. Correct the instruction to read, "Give amount spent" and x out the "date" column. Explain to your respondent that we already know what and when she last bought each item from her answers to BLS 1847-C. She is now asked only to record purchases during the 7-day period covered by BLS 1847-C1. Explain that drugs bought over the counter are those bought in a store to distinguish from drugs supplied by a physician.

379.42 Ask her to enter the date she filled in the page and make no comment on the question of willingness to give similar information about purchases of food at other seasons of the year.

379.5

Envelope. Leave addressed envelope and emphasize the importance of prompt mailing.

OTHER INSTRUCTIONS

381

S-380

Materials Used by Interviewers. You as an Interviewer, will use the
following technical forms in performing your duties:

382

a. BLS 1847-A

b.

BLS 1847-A1

C.

BLS 1847-B

d.

BLS 1847-C

Household Record
Non-Response Sheet
Schedule

Food Check List

e.

BLS 1847-C1

f.

PB 218

Questions and Answers

Instructions

8. Collection Manual

b. Interviewer's Workbook

Other Materials

a.

Occupant Letter

You will use other forms and perhaps have additional written instructions but they are either administrative or are not considered technical materials for your use as an Interviewer.

You are familiar with most of the materials listed above. Instructions for use of the remaining forms are given below.

382.1

382.2

Purpose. This blue form is designed to serve the editor and the Supervisor in noting questions that arise as they review the schedule. It helps you by assuring that all questionable points are brought to your attention and are available for use when you are obtaining additional information from the family. It provides a written record for the Washington office of the points raised and the explanations made for points that otherwise might have puzzles us in our use of these schedules.

Procedure

382.21 The Editor or the Supervisor will jot down questions as they arise

MANUAL

382.21 (Continued)

during review of the schedule. They will identify each question by noting the section and/or item numbers to which the question applies. They will have entered the schedule number and attached the PB 218 to the back of the schedule. Do not detach.

382.22 You are to enter as briefly as possible the answer in the column for answers. If the entry you have made in the schedule as a result of the questions is self-explanatory, your note should be "See

filling the blank with the appropriate section and item number. For
example J-12. Initial each answer.

383.1

Purpose. As you know, much of the information on income, expenditures and savings was asked for and recorded at the point in the schedule when we believed most respondents could most easily and accurately recall the information. BLS 1847-D is used to summarize the information so that income, expenditures and changes in savings are drawn together and a preliminary analysis can be made by the editor and Supervisor.

383.21 Your Supervisor may review with you the BLS 1847-D if a schedule is given to you on reassignment to point up the places where an error may have been made.

Purpose. Your Supervisor mailed a copy of this letter to each address
included in the sample to advise the selected families of your call.
We have provided you with copies of this letter, so that you can present
one to the family in the event that they failed to receive the letters
mailed to them.

385.1 Purpose.

After the other steps in editing are completed, the data are summarized to determine whether the schedule is considered to balance.

If the schedule does not balance, it is given to you or another Interviewer as a reassignment. The purpose of this reassignment is to attempt to bring the schedule into balance.

Survey of Consumer