Attachment A(4) - LSF Online User Guide

October 2019
CE-FLD 10283-4

USER GUIDE

This

CE Online Diary
Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE). We understand that this task takes
time; however, your information is very important to us and will be used for many purposes that affect all Americans.
Among the most important, it is used to help calculate the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, which is a basic measure of the
rate of inflation. For more information about the survey, visit http://www.bls.gov/respondents/cex/.

CE
By law
Web
(Title 13, U.S.
and
Code), we Mobile
must keep your information
Diary
confidential;
Survey
we use it for statistical purposes only. If you have
comments regarding this survey, please send them to: Division of Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2 Massachusetts Avenue
N.E., Room 3985, Washington, DC 20212.
Log in to your CE Online Diary at: https://respond.census.gov/lsf
Username and Password
Logging in to the diary requires a unique and secure username and password that is assigned to each household.
For security reasons, your password is provided separately by your Field Representative.
Respondent Name: _________________________________________________________
Username: _________________________________________________________________
Start Date: ___________________________ End Date: ___________________________

Note: It may be helpful to create a shortcut from your computer desktop or home screen. This will
make it easier to access your diary each day as you are entering expenses. See the instructions on the
back of this user guide for how to create a shortcut.
Questions?
Field Representative’s name: __________________________________Telephone: ________________________
CE Help Desk: 1 (877) 744-1522 (Monday-Friday 9am-10pm, Saturday 9am-9pm, Sunday 11am-9pm Eastern)
[email protected]
U.S. Depar tment of Commer ce
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

c e nsus.gov

What Should I Enter in the Diary?
Complete the CE Diary for the entire week. Enter EVERYTHING you spend money on each day (see exceptions below) –
the products you buy, the services you use, and the household expenses you have during the week – no matter how large
or small they are. Do NOT use abbreviations for any item descriptions.
The only items you should not include in your diary are:




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

Start Date and Email Address
After the first time you log in, you will select your scheduled start date listed on the front of this user guide. You will also
have the option to enter your email address to receive reminders regarding your participat ion in the survey.

Help
To access Help tools, click the “Help” button on the top right of the screen. In the mobile version, the Help link will appear
after you click on Menu. Here you will have the following options: General Instructions, How to Fill Out Your Diary, Diary
Examples, FAQs, and Definitions.

User Settings
You will be logging into the diary several times throughout your diary week. You may find it helpful to customize your
username and password so they are easier to remember. To change your username or password, click on the “User
Settings” button on the top right of the Desktop version. In the mobile version, the User Settings option can be accessed
by clicking on Menu on the top right. Make sure your new username and password meets all of the requirements that are
specified on the Change Username and Change Password pages. You will also be required to enter your email address and
select and answer a security question.

No Expenses
If you had no expenses during your diary week, login to the diary on or after the last day of your diary week and you will
see the following checkbox. Check the box to confirm that you had no expenses during the week.

Logout
To protect your privacy, the CE Diary will automatically log you out if there is no activity for more than 15 minutes. You
can also logout at any time by clicking on the “Logout” button. To log back in each time, you will need to re-enter your
username and password. To prevent losing data you have entered, please remember to save your entries.
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Entering Expenses
Below are examples of your home screen where you will be able to view a summary of your entered expenses and add
new expenses. Please refer to Page 4 for more detailed instructions on how to add an expense.
Desktop Version
To add an expense, you will enter information by first
selecting the appropriate week and then the date of the
expense on the left side of the screen.

Mobile Version
To add an expense, tap on the “Add Item” icon on
the bottom right of the summary screen. An
expense entry screen will appear allowing you to
add a new expense.

(mobile summary screen)

(mobile expense
entry screen)

View, Edit, or Delete an Expense
To help you find a particular entry, you can enter a search term in the search box on the top right of your desktop version.
In the mobile version, tap on the “Search” icon on the bottom left of the summary screen. You can view your expenses by
selecting Week 1 or Week 2 and clicking on a specific date to expand the selection and view the expenses entered for that
date.

Desktop Version
To delete an expense, click on the trashcan icon to the right
of the expense. To view or edit an expense, click on the
pencil icon to the far right of the expense. In the left entry
space, you will be able to make any changes and select
“Save” or “Back” to cancel.

Mobile Version
To delete an expense, click on the trashcan icon
to the right of the expense. To view or edit an
expense, click on the pencil icon to the far right
of the expense. When you click on edit, you will
be taken to the expense entry screen where you
will be able to make any changes and select
“Save” or “Back” to cancel.

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Adding Expenses to Your CE Diary
The Expense Entry screen on the mobile version is on a separate screen, but the entry fields are the same.
Select the date the
purchase was made.
Enter the
name of the
business.
Select the
category.
To cancel and return
to your home screen,
select Back.
To save the expense entry,
select Save.

Category Specific Questions
After you select a category, additional questions specific to that category will appear for you to complete.
See examples below:
Meals, Snacks, and
Drinks Away from
Home
 Enter the total cost
(include tax and tip)

 Select the meal type
 Indicate if alcohol
was included and
the cost of alcohol, if
applicable

Food and Drinks for
Home Consumption
 Describe the item or
expense

 Enter the cost
(do not include tax)

 Select the type of
packaging

Clothing, Shoes,
Jewelry, and
Accessories

All Other Products,
Services, and
Expenses

 Describe the item or

 Describe the item or

expense
 Enter the cost
(do not include tax)
 Select the gender
and age

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expense

 Enter the cost
(do not include tax)

Meals Snacks and Drinks Away from Home vs. All Other Categories
Something you should keep in mind when entering your expenses is that the Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home
category is different from the other categories. See below for examples with entries in the Mobile version.
Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home

In the Meals, Snacks, and Drinks Away from Home category, you will enter the entire meal/purchase as
one entry and enter the total cost of the meal including tax and tip.

All Other Categories

For all of the other three categories, you will enter each item purchased as a separate entry and enter
the cost of the item without tax.

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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I do if I forget my Username or 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 1 (877) 744-1522 or email
[email protected].
2. How detailed should my descriptions be?
Refer to the Diary Examples page in the Help menu for examples of the level of detail needed in each part. Do
not rely solely on brand names.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. How should I record credit card purchases?
Record the individual expense the day that you use your credit card to pay for something, not the day you pay
your credit card bill.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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 when they return.
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11. How should I record items if I don’t know whether it includes tax?
Write down the amount paid.
12. What if I make a contribution or charitable donation?
Record money contributions or donations in the section called All Other Products, Services, and Expenses.
13. What about gift certificates or gift cards?
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.
14. What do I do about returns and exchanges?
If an item is bought and returned during the diary period, it can be delete d (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).
15. 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 house hold has to pay.
16. 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.
17. 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.

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Adding a CE Diary Shortcut
This will make it easier to access your diary each day as you are entering expenses. Although web browsers vary across
brands and versions, the steps for creating a shortcut are usually similar.
Adding a CE Diary Shortcut to your Computer Desktop Screen
1.

Open the web browser and enter the URL: https://respond.census.gov/lsf

2.

Once you have opened the website, hold down “ctrl” and “s” on the keyboard at the same time.

3.

A new window will pop-up. The default File name will be “CE Diary”.

4.

Make sure “Desktop” is selected as the save location and then click on Save.

5.

When you close the browser and return to your desktop, you will see an icon for the shortcut labeled CE Diary. To quickly access your
CE Diary in the future, simply double click on this shortcut.

Android Smartphones

iPhone

Have a QR code reader?
Access the CE Diary quickly
by scanning this QR code

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