Appendix C - Diary User Guide

April 2021

USER GUIDE

Spending Diary

This

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the Consumer Spending Survey. 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.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees, agents, and partner statistical agencies, will use the information you provide
for statistical purposes only and will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance
with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act and other applicable Federal laws, your
responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent. Per the Federal Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act of 2015, Federal information systems are protected from malicious activities through cybersecurity
screening of transmitted data. If you have comments regarding this survey, please email them to
[email protected].

Questions?
Contact the Spending Diary Help Desk by email at [email protected] or by telephone
at 1-888-288-0021 (Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm Eastern)

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What Should I Enter in the Diary?
Complete the Spending Diary for the entire two weeks. Enter EVERYTHING you and your household 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

Help
To access Help tools, click the “Help” button on the top right of the screen. Here you will have the following options: User
Guide, Video Tutorials, General Instructions, How to Fill Out Your Diary, Diary Examples, FAQs, and Definitions.

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 Spending 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 re-enter the survey, please select the study survey
link provided in your KnowledgePanel Member Portal or using an e-mail associated with this study. 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.

f
(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 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 trash can 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
“Update” or “Cancel.”

Mobile Version
To delete an expense, click on the trash can 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
“Update” or “Back” to cancel.

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Adding Expenses to Your Spending 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 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 vendor
type

 Indicate if alcohol

Food and Drinks for
Home Consumption
 Describe the item or
expense
 Enter the cost
(do not include tax)
 Select the type of
packaging

was included and
the cost of alcohol, if
applicable

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. 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.
2. 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. To delete the
expense, click on the trash can icon next to the cost and select ‘ok’ to confirm. To make any changes, click on the
pencil icon next to the trash can. Make any changes in the Edit Expense box and click the 'Update' button to
save your changes.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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
remember to record what you bought or paid for.
10. How should I record items if I don’t know whether it includes tax?
Write down the amount paid.
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11. What if I make a contribution or charitable donation?
Record money contributions or donations in the section called All Other Products, Services, and Expenses.
12. 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.
13. 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 2). 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 2).
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. What’s the difference between a concession stand and a mobile vendor?
A concession stand has to stay in a permanent location and a mobile vendor does not. Some mobile vendors
may seem permanent because they are usually in the same location, but they are still considered mobile
vendors because they have the option to change locations.

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