Codes

This variable is not available for any of the currently selected samples.

Description

FSSPDSTR indicates the total amount the household spent on food at specialty shops and convenience stores in the past week. Specialty shops include meat markets, produce stands, bakeries, and warehouse clubs.

For most years this variable is calculated by subtracting non-food expenditures at specialty shops and convenience stores from total expenditures at specialty shops and convenience stores. Households who did not shop for food at these stores last week are assigned a value of zero.

This is one of the variables used to calculate total spending on food in the last week FSTOTXPN. Households also report their usual weekly expenditures on food (FSULXPNS).

This variable is part of the Food Security Supplement.

Comparability

This variable usually is comparable across years, but the universe changes over time. In most years, this variable is constructed by subtracting non-food expenditures from total expenditures at these stores. In 1995, households were asked to only report food expenditures.

In most years, the question is asked of all households. In 1997, this question was asked of 6 of the 8 rotation groups. Beginning in 2010, food expenditure questions are restricted to non-group quarter households.

Starting in 2011, the variables for total and non-food expenditures at specialty shops and convenience stores on which FSSPDSTR are based are top coded. Total expenditures at specialty shops and convenience stores is top coded at $300 from 2011 onwards (note that CPS documentation gives a top code of $250 from 2012 onwards). Non-food expenditures at these stores is top coded at $150 for 2011-2013, and $130 in 2014 (note that CPS documentation gives the top code always as $150). The flag QFSSPDSTR indicates whether a household's values for FSSPDSTR are a result of a top code in total expenditure, non-food expenditure, or both.

Universe

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Unharmonized Variables