Family Economics Review [1975, Number 2]

              HIGHLIGHTS/SPRING 1975
FOOD PLANS AND FAMILY BUDGETING
IMPROVING AND REPAIRING THE FAMILY HOME
THE COST OF CONVENIENCE
ZINC IN FOODS
PROPERTY OF THE
IIPqAPY
FEB G 1976
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT GREENSBORO
ARS-NE-36
Consumer and Food Economics Institute
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW is a quarterly
report on research of the Consumer and Food
Economics Institute and on information from
other sources relating to economic aspects of
family living. It is prepared primarily for home
economics agents and home economics
specialists of the Cooperative Extension
Service.
Authors are on the staff of the Consumer and Food
Economics Institute unless otherwise noted.
Editor: Katherine S. Tippett Assistant Editor: Marilyn Doss Ruffin
Consumer and Food Economics Institute
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Federal Building
Hyattsville, Md. 20782
FOOD PLANS AND FAMILY BUDGETING 1
by Betty Peterkin
Three USDA Family Food Plans (low cost,
moderate cost, and liberal) have been revised.
The Winter 1975 issue of FAMILY
ECONOMICS REVIEW presented information
on this revision-the reasons for it, the data
used, the nutritional quality of the plans, and
procedures for estimating costs.
The quantities of foods in the plans and the
costs for the plans estimated each month are
used in numerous ways. The Department and
others use the plans as a basis for guidance
materials that help families to select nutritious
diets that they can afford. The food com­ponents
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
budgets at three levels are based on the three
USDA food plans. Camps and institutions use
the plans to estimate food needs and evaluate
food used. Public and private assistance
agencies use the costs for the plans in estab­lishing
food cost standards for needy families
and children in foster homes; lawyers, courts,
and the Internal Revenue Service use them to
determine rates for care of dependents.
Economists use the plan costs as a base for
economic assumptions regarding the cost of a
good diet for · families of different size and
composition.
The food plans and their costs can be used as
guides in working out food budgets for
families. 2 The food plans (tables 1, 2, and 3)
show the kinds and amounts of food that the
family might purchase, or obtain in other ways,
to provide well-balanced meals and snacks for
family members. The costs for the food plans
(see p. 18 for costs for January 1975) are
guides to how much money a family might
reasonably spend for food.
1 This article is an adaptation of a paper "USDA
Family Food Plans, 1974" presented at The National
Agricultural Outlook Conference in December 197 4.
The complete paper may be ordered from the
Consumer and Food Economics Institute (see address
inside cover page).
2 For additional information on food money
management, see Your Money's Worth in Foods,
USDA, HG 183. Single copies are available free from
the Office of Communication, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.
SPRING 1975
Selecting the Plan and Figuring Its Cost
The family may select their plan-low cost,
moderate cost, or liberal-in one of these two
ways:
1. Select the plan that costs the amount
that other families, similar in size and income,
spend for food on the average. The food plans
that could be followed by using the money
that families of different sizes and incomes
spend, on the average are shown in table 4.
2. Select the plan that costs about the
amount the family currently budgets (or would
like to budget) for food . To find this plan,
figure the costs for the three plans for Jan­uary
197 5 for the family, using the costs given
on page 18. Find the weekly cost for each
person eating from family food supplies. List
the amount opposite the age and sex of each
person as follows:
• For family members who eat all meals at
home (or carry meals from home, such as
lunches or picnics), use the weekly cost
given in the table.
• For family members who eat some meals
out, deduct from the cost in the table,
5 percent for each meal not eaten at
home. For example, if a child eats lunch
out five times a week, subtract
25 percent, or one-fourth, of the cost
shown for the child's age group.
• For guests and others who occasionally
eat with the family, list 5 percent of the
cost in the table for the proper age group
for each meal. Suppose grandmother eats
her midday and evening meals with the
family every Sunday. Add 10 percent, or
one-tenth, of that amount for women of
her age.
Next, total the costs listed and adjust the total
if there are more or fewer than four persons
usually eating at the family table. Costs in the
table on page 18 are for individuals in families
of four persons. Adjustment is necessary
because large families tend to buy and use
3
Table 1.--Low-cost food plan: Amounts of food for a week 11
Family Milk, Meat, Dry beans Dark-green, Citrus other Other Fats, Sugar, Acces-member
cheese, poultry, Eggs and peas, deep-yellow fruit, Potatoes vegetables, Cereal Flour Bread bakery oils sweets sories
ice cream g) fish :J! nuts 'J.j vegetables tomatoes fruit products 'if
S1 Lb No. Lb Lb Lb Lb _Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb
Child:
7 months to
1 year---- 5.70 0.56 2.1 0.15 0.35 0.42 0.06 3.43 6/ 0.71 0.02 0.06 0 .05 0.05 O.l.ll o.o6
1-2 years----- 3.57 1.26 3.6 .16 .23 1.01 .60 2.88 -§/ .99 .27 .76 .33 .12 .36 .68
3-5 years----- 3.91 1.52 2.7 .25 .25 1.20 .85 2.95 .90 .30 .91 .57 .38 .71 1.02
6-8 years----- 4.74 2.03 2.9 .39 .31 1.58 1.10 3.67 1.11 .45 1.27 .84 .52 .90 1.43
9-11 years---- 5.46 2.57 3.9 .44 .38 2.13 1.41 4.81 1.24 .62 1.65 1.20 .61 1.15 1.89
Male:
12-14 years--- 5.74 2.98 4.0 .56 .40 1.99 1.50 3.90 1.15 .67 1.88 1.25 .77 1.15 2.61
15-19 years--- 5.49 3.74 4.0 .34 .39 2.20 1.87 4.50 .90 ·75 2.10 1.55 1.05 1.04 3.09
20-54 years--- 2 .74 4.56 4.0 .33 .48 2.32 1.87 4.81 .93 .n 2.10 1.47 .91 .81 2.11
55 years and
over------- 2.61 3.63 4.0 .21 .61 2.38 1. 72 4.92 1.02 .62 1.73 1.23 .77 .90 1.16
Female:
12-19 years--- 5.63 2.55 4.0 .24 .46 2.17 1.17 4.57 .75 .63 1.44 1.05 .53 .88 2.44
20-54 years--- 3.02 3.21 4.0 .19 .55 2.34 1.40 4.17 .n .55 1.31 .94 .59 .72 2.13
55 years and
over------- 3.01 2.45 4.0 .15 .62 2.54 1.22 4.57 .97 .58 1.24 .86 .38 .64 1.11
Pregnant------ 5.25 3.68 4.0 .29 .67 2.80 1.65 4.99 .95 .-66 1.52 1.06 .55 .78 2.56
Nursing------- 5.25 4.16 4.0 .26 .66 2.99 1.67 5.33 .78 .61 1. 55 1.16 .76 .91 2.70
11 Amounts are for food as purchased or brought into the kitchen from garden or farm. Amounts allow for · a discard of about one-tenth of the
edible food as plate waste, spoilage, etc. Amounts of foods are shown to two decimal places to allow for greater accuracy, especially in estimating
rations for large groups of people and for long periods of time. For general use, amounts of food groups for a family may be rounded to the nearest
tenth or quarter of a pound.
g) Fluid milk and beverage made from dry or evaporated milk. Cheese and ice cream may replace some milk. Count as equivalent to a quart of fluid
milk: Natural or processed Cheddar-type cheese, 6 oz.; cottage cheese, 2-1/2 lbs.; ice cream, 1-1/2 quarts.
Jl Bacon and salt pork should not exceed 1/3 pound for each 5 pounds of this group.
}ll Weight in terms of dry beans and peas, shelled nuts, and peanut butter. Count 1 pound of canned dry beans--pork and beans, kidney beans, etc.-­as
.33 pound.
2/ Includes coffee, tea, cocoa, punches, ades, soft drinks, leavenings, and seasonings. The use of iodized salt is recommended.
§! Cereal fortified with iron is recommended.
Table 2.--Modera~e-cost food plan: Amounts of food for a week±/
Family Milk, Meat, Dry beans Dark-green, Citrus Other Other Fats, Sugar, Acces-member
cheese, poultry, Eggs an<;i peas, deep-yellow fruit, Potatoes vegetables, Cereal Flour Bread bakery oils sweets sories
ice cream 2/ fish 3/ nuts 4/ vegetables tomatoes fruit products 2.1
S1 Lb No. Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb
Child:
7 :nontbs to
l year----- 6.46 0.80 2.2 0.13 0.41 0.49 0.06 3.98 6/ 0.64 0.02 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.19 0.08
l-2 y.:ars----- 4.04 1.69 4.0 .15 .29 1.24 ·59 3.44 §.1 1.03 .26 .81 .33 .12 .28 .79
3-5 years----- 4.74 1.88 3.0 .22 .30 1.46 .85 3.51 .74 .27 .82 .73 .41 .81 1.42
6-8 years----- 5·79 2.60 3.3 .34 .37 1.94 1.17 4.39 .84 .39 1.14 1.11 .56 1.03 1.97
9-11 years---- 6.68 3.31 4.0 .38 .45 2.61 1.40 5.76 1.03 .51 1.47 1.51 .66 1.31 2.63
Male:
12-14 years--- 7.02 3.77 4.0 .48 .48 2.44 1. 52 4.66 .94 .56 1.69 1. 54 .85 1.34 3.65
15-19 years--- 6.65 4.65 4.0 .29 .47 2.73 2.00 5.45 . 80 .67 1.98 • 1.82 1-05 1.15 4.41
20-54 years--- 3.38 5.73 4.0 .29 .59 2.92 1.94 5.93 .76 .65 1.97 1.65 ·95 .96 2.95
55 years and
over------- 2.97 4.64 4.0 .19 .70 2.91 1.69 5.88 .89 .53 1.58 1.45 .87 1.05 1.50
Female:
12-19 years--- 6.22 3.32 4.0 .24 .53 2.62 1.21 5.38 .68 .56 1.34 1.22 .56 .97 3.36
20-54 years--- 3.35 4.12 4.0 .19 .62 2.84 1.35 4.94 .54 .49 1.28 1.08 .65 .81 2.89
55 years and
over------- 3.35 3.21 4.0 .14 .72 3.09 1.17 5. 50 .81 .52 1.20 .98 .45 .73 1.39
Pregnant------ 5.44 4. 57 4.0 .25 .91 3.52 1.60 6.13 .73 .83 1.77 1.28 .46 .85 3.50
Nursing------- 5.31 5.01 4.0 .26 .91 3.76 1.73 6.52 .74 .81. 1.84 1.42 .69 1.00 3.79
1/ Amoun~s are for food as purchased or brought into the kitchen from garden or farm. Amounts allow for a discard of about one-sixth of the
edible food as plate waste, spoilage, etc. Amounts of foods are shown to two decimal places to allow for greater accuracy, especially in estimating
rations for large groups of people and for long periods of time. For general use, amounts of food groups for a family may be rounded to the nearest
tenth or quarter of a pound.
2/ Fluid milk and beverage made from dry or evaporated milk. Cheese and ice cream may replace some milk. Count as equivalent to a quart of fluid
milk: Natural or processed Cheddar-type cheese, 6 oz.; cottage cheese, 2-1/2 lbs.; ice cream, 1-1/2 quarts.
]/ Bacon and salt pork should not exceed 1/3 pound for each 5 pounds of this group.
}:} Weight in terms of dry beans and peas, shelled nuts, and peanut butter. Count 1 pound of canned dry beans--pork and beans, kidney beans, etc.-­as
.33 pound.
2) Includes coffee, tea, cocoa, punches, ades, soft drinks, leavenings, and seasonings. The use of iodized salt is recommended.
£/ Cereal fortified with iron is recommended.
Table 3.--Liberal food plan: Amounts of food for a week 1.1
Family Milk, Meat, Dry beans Dark-green, Citrus Other Other Fats, Sugar, Acces-member
cheese, poultry, Eggs and peas, deep-yellow fruit, Potatoes vegetables , Cereal Flour Bread bakery oils sweets series
ice cream gj fish 'jj nuts }!/ vegetables tomatoes fruit products 2.1
~ Lb No. Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb Lb
Child:
1 months to
1 year----- 6.94 0.91 2.3 0.14 0.43 o .6o 0.06 4.11 6/ 0.64 0.02 0.05 0.06 0.05 0 .20 0.09
1-2 years---- 4 . 26 2.07 4.0 .17 .31 1.50 .59 4.10 y 1.07 .28 .82 .35 .13 .27 .95
3-5 years----- 5.08 2.35 3.1 .23 .32 1.77 .85 4.18 .76 .27 .19 .78 .45 .85 1.74
6-8 years----- 6.25 3.18 3.4 .36 .40 2 . 35 1.18 5.21 .85 . 39 1.08 1.23 .60 1.08 2 . 41
9-ll years---- 7.21 4.04 4.0 .39 .48 3 .15 1.41 6.83 1.04 . 51 1.39 1.67 .11 1.38 3.21
Male:
12-14 years--- 7.57 4.57 4.0 . 50 .51 2.94 1. 52 5.52 .95 .56 1.60 1.71 .92 1.40 4.47
15-19 years-- 7.18 5· 59 4.0 .31 .50 3.29 2.01 6.45 .84 .69 1.92 2 .05 1 .07 1.20 5.36
20-54 years--- 3.64 6.83 4.0 .32 .62 3.51 1.95 6.99 ·19 .66 1.91 1.86 .95 1.00 3.54
55 years and
over------- 3.24 5.54 4.0 .19 .76 3.52 1.68 6.91 .89 .54 1.49 1.57 .94 1.09 1.82
Female:
12- 19 years--- 6.72 3.97 4.0 .25 . 56 3.15 1.21 6 . 34 .11 .59 1.31 1.35 .54 .98 4 .09
20-54 years--- 3.62 4.86 4.0 .20 . 66 3 . 41 1. 35 5.81 .56 .51 1.24 1.22 .66 .84 3.47
55 years and
over-------- 3.65 3.79 4.0 .15 .76 3.71 1.14 6.42 .74 . 54 1.17 1.12 .48 ·11 1.66
Pregnant------ 5.91 5.43 4.0 .26 .96 4.22 1. 57 1.11 .10 .87 1.70 1.45 . 46 .87 4.20
Nursing------- 5.76 5·97 4.0 .28 .91 4. 51 1.72 7.66 . 75 .84 1.76 1.58 .68 1 .02 4.52
1./ Amounts are for food as purchased or brought into the kitchen from garden or farm . Amounts allow for a discard of about one-fourthof the
edible food as plate waste, spoilage, etc. Amounts of foods are shown to two decimal places to allow for greater accuracy, especially in estimating
rations for large groups of people and for long periods of time. For general use, amounts of food groups for a family may be rounded to the nearest
tenth or quarter of a pound.
gj Fluid milk and beverage made from dry or evaporated milk. Cheese and ice cream may replace some m~lk. Count as equivalent to a quart of fluid
milk: Natural or processed Cheddar-type cheese, 6 oz . ; cottage cheese, 2-1/2 lbs.; ice cream, 1- 1/2 quarts.
~/ Bacon and salt pork should not exceed 1/3 pound for each 5 pounds of this group .
}}_/ Weight in terms of dry beans and peas, shelled nuts, and peanut butter. Count 1 pound of canned dry beans--pork and beans, kidney beans, etc . - ­as
. 33 pound.
2/ Includes coffee, tea, cocoa, punches, ades, soft drinks, leavenings, and seasonings . The use of iodized salt is recommended .
2/ Cereal fortified with iron is recommended.
foods more economically than small families. If
the family has-
1 person .............. add 20 percent
2 persons ............. add 10 percent
3 persons .............. add 5 percent
4 persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . use as is
5 persons .......... subtract 5 percent
6 or more persons .. : subtract 10 percent
Then compare the costs for the plans with the
amount the family budgets for food to find
which plan best fits the budget.
Comparing the Cost of the Plan with Family
Food Expenditures
Compare the cost of the plan for the family
with the amount of money actually spent for
food eaten at home during a week. Do not
count the amount spent at the grocery store
for nonfood items, such as soap, cigarettes,
paper goods, and pet foods. The cost estimates
do not include such items, which account for
over 20 cents of every dollar spent in super­markets.
If the amount spent is about the same as the
cost of the foods in the plan, it is sufficient to
provide nutritious meals. If it is considerably
more, the family probably could use some help
in holding food costs down. If the amount is a
great deal less, the family may not be getting
the assortment of foods needed.
Necessarily, the costs of the USDA food
plans are only rough guides to spending. The
amount a family spends may be more or less,
depending on:
• What foods are selected.
• Where the family buys its food.
• How much food is prepared at home.
• Whether some of the food is produced at
home.
• How carefully the family plans and buys.
• The importance the family places on food
in relation to other family needs.
Spending the amount that the foods in the
plan cost does not automatically lead to well­balanced
meals. A diet that includes a variety
of different kinds of foods is needed to supply
the nutrients for growth and good health.
Following the selected food plan is one way to
help assure that family members get the
nutrients they need. Amounts of foods to buy
SPRING 1975
to follow the plan can be estimated for the
family and compared with amounts the family
buys to see what, if any, changes are needed to
follow the plan.
Figuring the Amounts of Foods in the Food
Plan
Use table 1, 2, or 3, which shows the
amounts of food in each food group in the
plans for men, women, and children of dif­ferent
ages, to figure the amount of food in the
plans for the family. List the amounts of food
in each food group opposite the sex and age of
each person eating from the family food supply
as follows:
• For family members who eat all meals at
home (or carry meals from home), use the
amount given in the table.
• For family members who eat some snacks
or meals out regularly, deductions should
be made-
From the food groups containing the
foods eaten away, if possible. For
example, if a family member buys a
doughnut and a half-pint of milk at
work five mornings a week, deduct
from the bakery products group the
weight of five doughnuts and from the
milk group 1.25 quarts of milk.
From all food groups, if whole meals
that include foods from all or most
food groups are eaten away. Deduct
5 percent of the suggested amount of
each food group for an average size
meal eaten away. Deduct more or less
than 5 percent if the meal is unusually
large or small.
• For guests and others who occasionally
eat with the family, add 5 percent of the
amount of each food group suggested for
the proper age group for each meal.
Total for each person the amounts of food in
each food group to find the amount of food
suggested in the plan for the family for a week.
Figuring the Amounts of Food Used by the
Family
Total the amount of food purchased (or
brought into the kitchen from the farm or
garden) that is used to prepare meals and
snacks for the family for a week. Do this
separately for the food groups in the food plan.
7
Before amounts of various foods in a group
can be totaled, they must be converted to the
amounts of a common unit-pounds and
decimal parts of a pound, for example. Most
produce and meat are sold by the pound; many
processed foods show the net weight on the
label in ounces. To convert ounces to decimal
parts of a pound, use the table below:
Ounces Pound Ounces Pound
1 • 0 0.06 9 • 0 0.56
2 • 0 0 0 0 .12 10 .62
3 . . . . . .19 11 . . .. .69
4 . . . . . . . .25 12 .. . . .75
5 . . . .31 13 . . .81
6 . . . . .38 14 .. .88
7 . . . . .44 15 . . . . .94
8 .. • 0. .50 16 . . 1.00
Milk, cheese, ice cream. Total the amounts
of fluid milk and beverages made from dry or
evaporated milk used. Add milk products,
counting as equal to one quart of milk:
6 ounces of natural or processed cheese,
2lf:z pounds of cottage cheese; 3 pints of ice
cream or ice milk.
Meat, poultry, fish. Total the weight in
pounds of all meat, poultry, and fish used. Add
the approximate weight of the meat, poultry,
or fish contained in commercially prepared
mixtures. For example, if about one-fourth of
a 1-pound meat pie appears to be meat, add
0.25 pound of meat to the meat group.
Dry beans and peas, nuts. Add the weight of
peanut butter, dry mature beans, peas, and
lentils, and shelled nuts used. If processed dry
legumes are used, such as canned pork and
beans, black-eyed peas, butterbeans, and the
like, add only 0.33 pound for every pound
used.
Vegetables and fruit. These groups-dark­green
and deep-yellow vegetables, citrus fruit
and tomatoes, potatoes, and other vegetables
and fruit-include items purchased raw,
canned, frozen, and dried. Groups, except
potatoes, include juices also. Total the weight
of the foods in these groups as brought into the
kitchen with these exceptions: (1) For frozen
concentrated juices, add the weight of the
reconstituted juice, or the weight on the can
times four. (2) For dehydrated potatoes, add
8
the weight of an equal amount of fresh
potatoes, or the weight on the package times
seven.
Add the approximate weight of vegetable or
fruit in canned or frozen mixtures used.
Flour, cereal, bread, bakery products, fats
and oils, sugar and sweets, accessories. Total
the amounts of these foods by their weight.
Include only the amounts used during the
week.
Comparing the Food Used with the Food Plan
If the amounts of groups of foods used in
the week are similar to those in the selected
plan, the family probably has a good diet .
However, the plan is only one of many ways
foods can be combined to get a good diet .
Meals are not necessarily poor if amounts of
foods used are not exactly as suggested.
The amount of food purchased may differ
from that shown in the plan because of the
form in which foods are purchased. For
example, the amounts of vegetables and fruits
in the plan assume that fresh, canned, frozen,
and dried items are purchased in proportions
typical of average consumption. If the family
uses fresh vegetables and fruit almost exclu­sively
during certain times of the year, the
amounts used should exceed the amount in the
plan by about 10 percent to allow for the
greater amount of refuse. If, on the other hand,
frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are
used exclusively, amounts used may be about
10 percent below amounts suggested. If, during
a given week, most cuts of meat used have a
high percentage of bone and fat, such as spare­ribs,
shank, chicken wings, and bacon, the
quantity used should be as much as a third
higher than the plan suggests. However, the
plan as shown is a suitable guide if, as is usual
for most families in most weeks of the year,
some fresh and canned and some frozen vege­tables
and fruit are used and the meats selected
include some bony and some meaty pieces.
If more than the suggested amounts of dark­green
and deep-yellow vegetables are pur­chased,
a corresponding decrease in other
vegetables and fruit can be made. Amounts of
the "other" group, however, cannot be sub­stituted
for the dark-green and deep-yellow
without reducing the amount of certain
nutrients in the diet.
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
Food needs differ because of the size and
activity of persons. Slightly more or less than
the amounts of foods in the plan may be
needed to satisfy appetities and maintain
desirable weight for some family members. For
example, amounts of fats and oils, sugar and
sweets, and certain accessories, such as soft
drinks, suggested in the·plans could be reduced
somewhat to lower calories without jeopard­izing
the nutritional quality of the diet.
Large differences between food used by the
family and that in the plan may show up
weaknesses in the diet with respect to
nutritional quality, variety, food discard, and
cost.
• If much less milk is used than the plan
calls for, some members of the family are likely
to get less calcium and possibly less of the B­vitamin,
riboflavin, than is recommended. If
much less vegetables and fruit are used, diets
may be short in vitamins A and C. The use of
smaller amounts of cereal products than are
called for in the plan may result in shortgages
of certain B-vitamins and of iron.
• The plans are designed to offer consider­able
variety in meals. If the family skimps on
some food groups-such as vegetables and
fruit-and fills up on others-cereals and bread,
for example-meals may be monotonous, as
well as being short in some nutrients.
• Use of much more food than called for in
the plan probably indicates overeating or food
waste. Excessive waste may occur in the pre­paration
of food or as unused leftovers. Buying
too much of a perishable food or buying food
of poor quality may result in waste too.
• Waste results in unnecessarily high food
cost. Also, if large amounts of the more
expensive foods-meats, for example-are used,
costs will be higher than estimated for the plan.
Selecting Foods Within Food Groups
Appetizing meals can be prepared by using
any of the three plans. However, greater
variety, including more of the expensive foods,
is possible in the liberal plan than in the less
expensive plans. In each plan some expensive
and some inexpensive foods can be selected, as
is typical of buying practices of most families,
regardless of the amount they spend for food.
The average prices for food groups shown
SPRING 1975
below, those used in figuring the cost of the
three food plans for January 1975, may serve
as a guide.
Food group Unit Low Mod- Lib­Cost
erate era!
cost
Milk, cheese, ice cream
(milk equivalent) . . .. .
Meat, poultry, fish .... .
Eggs ............... .
Dry beans and peas, nuts
(dry shelled weight) . . .
Dark-green and deep-yellow
vegetables .... .
Citrus fruit, tomatoes .. .
Potatoes ....... . .... .
Other vegetables, fruit ..
Cereal .............. .
Flour ......... .. ... .
Bread . .. . ........ .. .
Other bakery products . .
Fats, oils .. . . . . ... . . . .
Sugar, sweets . . ...... .
qt $0.46 $0.49 $0.52
lb 1.06 1.14 1.23
dz .80 .81 .83
lb . 78 .90 1.08
lb .29 .31 .32
lb .25 .26 .26
lb .16 .17 .19
lb .29 .31 .32
lb .56 .59 .60
lb .29 .33 .33
lb .43 .46 .49
lb .79 .86 .94
lb .70 .75 .78
lb .75 .80 .85
Lists of foods for a month for a family of
four, typical of those used in costing the plans,
are available on request from the Consumer
and Food Economics Institute, Agricultural
Research Service, U.S. Department of Agri­culture,
Hyattsville, Md. 20782. These lists,
based on average amounts of food used by
survey families, are not intended as a market
list for any family to use in shopping for food.
Budgeting Food Money by Food Groups
Some family food managers like to budget
their food money by food groups. The way a
family of four with two elementary school
children following the three food plans would
have divided their food dollars in the winter of
197 5 is shown below:
Food group
Milk, cheese, ice cream ... .
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs .. .
Dry beans, peas, nuts .... .
Vegetables, fruit . . ...... .
Cereals, bakery products . . .
Other foods .. .. ...... . . .
Low
cost
$ .16
.31
.02
.18
.18
.15
$1.00
Mod-erate
Liberal
cost
$ .16 $
.34
.02
.18
.15
.15
.15
.37
.02
.18
.14
.14
$1.00 $1.00
9
Table 4. -Food plans that families of different sizes and incomes can usually afford, 1974
Family income 2-person 3-person 4-person 5-person 6-person
(afer taxes) family family family family family
$2,000 to $4,000 0 0 0 Low cost (' ) (I ) ct) (I )
$4,000 to $6,000 0 0 0 Moderate cost Low cost (') (I ) (')
$6,000 to $8,000 0 0 0 Moderate cost Low cost or Low cost Low cost (')
or liberal moderate cost
$8,000 to $10,000 0 0 Liberal Moderate cost Low cost or Low cost Low cost
moderate cost
$10,000 to $15,000 Liberal Liberal Moderate cost Moderate cost Low cost or
moderate cost
$15,000 and over 0 0 0 Liberal Liberal Liberal Moderate cost Moderate cost
or liberal or liberal
1 Most families of this size and income will require a plan that is less costly than the low cost plan. One such
plan is now being developed by USDA.
Source: Data from Survey of Consumer Expenditures, 1960-61, U.S. Department of Labor, updated to 1974
levels.
The share of the food budget that goes to a
food group is to some extent personal pre­ference.
For example, one family may prefer to
use nonfat dry milk thereby cutting the share
required to buy milk, to allow for the purchase
of more expensive cuts of meat. However, to
get a nutritious diet, such as provided by the
food plans, without increasing food costs many
food managers who reported their food use in
the most recent nation wide survey would need
to change the way they budget somewhat.
Generally, they would need to use a larger
share of each food dollar for milk and milk
products and cereals, bread, and inexpensive
bakery products and a smaller share for meat,
poultry, and fish. It is wise to budget some
money for dark-green leafy vegetables­important
for vitamin A, iron, and certain
other nutrients-and some for citrus fruit or
other food important for vitamin C.
COMPOSITION OF THE LABOR FORCE
The traditional composition of the labor
force is changing. Married men remain the
largest component of the work force but their
share has decreased while that of single persons
and married women has increased.
Between March 197 3 and March 197 4 the
labor force rose by about 2.4 million persons.
Single and divorced persons (both men and
women) accounted for about three-fourths of
this rise. The greater number of young adults
20 to 29 years of age (attributable to the
post-World War II baby boom), lower college
enrollment, the ending of the draft for men,
and postponement of marriage for many young
women all contributed to the increase in single
persons. The increasing prominence of divorced
persons in the labor force largely reflects the
Nation's high and rising divorce rate.
The labor force participation rate of married
10
women has moved steadily upward in the past
10 years. The rate for married women under
age 35 rose from 32 percent in 1964 to 48
percent in 1974. The greatest increase in recent
years has generally been among mothers of
children under 3. Rates for mothers with older
children or no children under 18 have advanced
more slowly.
Multiple-worker families are increasing in
line with the rising labor force participation of
married women. In March 1974, 57 percent of
all husband-wife families (with or without
children) had at least one other family member
(usually the wife) in the labor force, in
addition to the head.
Source: llayghe, Howard, Marital and Family
Characteristics of Workers, March 1974, Monthly
Labor Review, January 1975.
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
EXPENDITURES FOR IMPROVING AND REPAIRING
THE FAMILY HOME
by Lucie G. Krassa
Families who own their homes and who
want to improve their housing situation have to
decide whether they should buy a new home,
buy an older existing home that may need
some work, or fix up and perhaps add space to
the home they have. This decision is likely to
be influenced by the prevailing housing
situation. In a period when housing prices and
mortgage rates are high, families are more
likely to decide against buying a new house in
favor of increasing expenditures on improving
and repairing the house they have, or buying an
older house that needs repair. Such a situation
existed during 1974 and was reflected by an
increase in the ratio of expenditures for
housing improvements and repairs to the value
of new housing units completed. In 1974 this
ratio was almost 0.6, the highest level since the
housing recession of 1970 (table 1). In 1972
and 1973, during a period of rapid housing
growth and relatively low mortgage interest
rates this ratio was much lower-0.4.
In the first three quarters of 1974, home­owners
spent $10.4 billion on construction
improvements and maintenance and repair of
their homes, up from the $8.4 billion in the
first three quarters of 1973. This was an
increase of 23 percent, about half of which was
due to price increases. Expenditures for con­struction
improvements increased more than
those for maintenance and repair-29 percent
compared with 11 percent. 1
In 1972, homeowners on the average spent
about $298 on improving and repairing the
family home. Owners of more expensive homes
tended to spend more than those in more
modest homes. For families with homes valued
at $20,000 or more, expenditures averaged
$397, compared with average expenditures of
about $241 on homes valued between $10,000
and $20,000, and $17 4 on homes valued lower
than $10,000. About two-thirds of all
1 Expenditures for construction improvements refer
to additions, alterations, and major replacements that
are considered capital investment in the property. The
distinction between major replacements and additions
and alterations is that major replacements are not
innovations. Maintenance and repair covers current
costs for the upkeep of the property.
Table 1.-Value of new housing units completed and expenditures for maintenance
and repairs, and construction improvements, 1968 to 1974
Year and
quarter
1968 ........ .. .
1969 ...... . ... .
1970 .......... .
1971 ... . ...... .
1972 .. ... . .. .. .
1973 .......... .
1974 (3 quarters) .
Value of
new units'
(1)
Bil. dol.
16.83
16.41
14.75
22.20
27.63
28.38
17.90
1 Excludes public housing.
( 1-unit structures)
Expenditures 2
Total Maintenance
and repairs
(2) (3)
Bil. dol. Bil. dol.
8.09 2.35
8.59 2.47
9.47 2.75
10.23 2.85
11.13 3.19
11.30 3.62
10.37 3.11
Construction
improvements'
(4)
Bil. dol.
5.74
6.12
6.72
7.38
7.94
7.68
7.26
Ratio
of col. (2)
to col. (1)
(5)
0.48
.52
.64
.46
.40
.40
.58
2 Owner-occupied properties. . . . .
3 Additions, alterations, and major replacements, generally cons1dered cap1talmvestment m the property.
S ource: U.S . D epaT t men t Of Commerce , Bureau of the Ce.n sus ' Cons.t ruction Reports, C3d0 ·a nd C·5 0. ()V alue of
new units from surveys of housing starts and of building perm1ts; expend1tures from househol mterv1ews.
11
SPRING 1975
expenditures were made to improve and repair
housing units with a value of $20,000 or more.
(According to the 1970 Census of Housing
only about 38 percent of all owner-occupied
one-family homes fell into this category.)
Many families do not pay cash for home
improvements but obtain loans. In 1973,
extensions of loans from financial institutions
for the specific purpose of home improvement
amounted to $4.7 million. The use of credit for
home improvement is higher, however, since
home improvement credit extended by retailers
is included in the category "other consumer
goods." Also, some credit extended as
"personal loans" may be used for home
improvements.
Table 2 shows the distribution of
expenditures for home improvements and
repairs by type of work. In 1973, about half
the expenditures for maintenance and repair
were for painting, and almost half of all
expenditures for major replacements were for
roofing and plumbing.
Information on repairs and improvements
that may be directly related to rising fuel costs,
such as insulation, storm doors and windows,
and weather stripping is not available, and
expenditures are hard to estimate. If the
installation of some of these items occurs
incidental to other work such as new siding or
remodeling, the expenditure is listed under the
category for the other more expensive work.
Expenditures for weather stripping are
included in the category "other maintenance
and repairs." The installation of storm doors
and windows where there had been none
before is included in "other additions and
alterations.''
A provision of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974 (effective
August 22, 1974) is intended to provide help
for low- and moderate-income families needing
home improvements. The law authorizes
expenditures by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development for repairs of serious
defects in one-or two-family dwellings located
in older declining urban areas with mortgages
insured under the regular program of the
Federal Housing Administration or the unsub­sidized
program for low- and moderate-income
families. The defect must have existed on the
date Federal Housing Administration insurance
was obtained; insurance must have been
obtained between August 1, 1968, and
Table 2. -Distribution of expenditures for home repairs and improvements,
by type of work, 1973
( 1-unit owner-occupied properties)
Construction improvements
Type of work Total Maintenance
and repairs Additions and Major
alterations replacements
Percent Percent Percent Percent
Total .................. 100 100 100 100
Heating and central
air conditioning . ........ 8 6 6 17
Plumbing ..... 0 ••••••••• 9 9 6 21
Roofing ............... 7 9 (') 25
Painting ............... 16 50 (I ) (I )
Siding ................. 4 4 (I ) 18
Remodelingz 8 (I ) 16 (I )
Other ................. 47 22 3 73 19
1 Not applicable.
2 Includes the creation of new rooms within the original confines of a house and complete interior
reconstruction.
'Includes all additions to the residential structure (19 percent); all additions and alterations on property outside
the residential structure (19 percent); and miscellaneous alterations within the residential structure (35 percent),
such as installation of an exhaust fan in the kitchen or of storm doors where there had been none before.
Note: Detail may not add to total because of rounding.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Construction Reports, C50-73A.
12 FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
January 1, 1973; and a claim has to be made
before August 22, 1975. Previously, this type
of assistance was not available to other than
lower income families.
The 197 4 law also provides for an increase
of the maximum loan amount from $5,000 to
$10,000 for home improvement loans insured
by the Federal Housing· Administration. The
maximum maturity for such loans was
increased from 7 to 12 years. The loans are
available for alterations, repairs, and improve­ments
upon or in connection with existing
structures and may include the provision of fire
safety equipment, energy-conserving improve­ments,
or the installation of solar energy
systems.
The Farmers Home Administration has two
loan programs for residents of rural areas who
need assistance in the repair of their homes,
one for families with low and moderate
incomes and another for families with very low
incomes. Under the first, the maximum loan
amount is $7,000. The effective interest rate
varies with family income and family size and
may be as low as 1 percent. Applicants must
have enough dependable income to pay family
living expenses and existing debts and to repay
the loan. The second program aids families in
making home repairs to remove health hazards.
The maximum loan amount increased from
$3,500 to $5,000 as a result of the 1974 law.
The interest rate is 1 percent. Loans under
$2,500 (previously $1,500) do not need to be
secured by a mortgage on the house, but only
require a promissory note. In fiscal year 1974,
the total number of loans for home repairs
made by the Farmers Home Administration
under both programs was 8,431. The 197 4 law
changed the definition of rural areas for
housing loans from "open country and places
with population up to 10,000" to "open
country and places with population up to
20,000." As a result, more persons will be
eligible for loans under these programs.
On January 15, 1975, the President pro­posed
legislation that would allow homeowners
a 15-percent income tax credit retroactive
to January 1, 1975, for the first $1,000 of
expenditures for energy-saving improvements
such as storm windows and insulation. Low­income
families and elderly persons would
qualify for direct government grants for
insulation.
Sources: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, Federal Reserve Bulletin, December 197 4.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farmers Home
Administration, unpublished data. U.S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Construction
Reports, Housing Starts, C20-74-ll, January 1975;
Value of New Construction Put in Place, C30-74-10,
December 197 4; and Residential Alterations and
Repairs, C50-73A, January 1975, C50-74-Q1 and Q2
(no dates). U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of
the Census, News, CB 74-310, Expenditures on Upkeep
and Improvements: Third Quarter 197 4, December 31,
1974; 1970 Census of Housing, HC(2)-1. The White
House, Office of the Press Secretary, The President's
1975 State of the Union Message Including Economy
and Energy, January 15, 1975.
FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK BOARD PROHIBITS
SEX DISCRIMINATION IN HOME LENDING
The Federal Home Loan Bank Board
(FHLBB) has amended its rules for member
institutions to protect women from
cliscrimination in home mortgage loans. 1 The
rules were amended to comply with provisions
of the Housing and Community Development
Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-383), which
became effective on August 22, 1974. The new
rules require FHLBB member institutions to
consider the combined income of both
husband and wife in the extension of mortgage
SPRING 1975
credit and require that loan applicants be
evaluated for credit worthiness without regard
to sex.
1 The FHLBB is an independent Federal agency that
supervises the savings and home-financing industry.
The Board establishes policies, issues regulations, and
supervises the operations of the Federal Home Loan
Bank System, The Federal Savings and Loan Insurance
Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation. Mosi member institutions are savings and
Joan or building and loan associations.
13
SOME NEW USDA PUBLICATIONS
(Please give your ZIP code in your return address when you order these.)
The following are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402:
• CONSTRUCTION WITH SURFACE BONDING. AB 374. October 1974. 45 cents.
• FINDING AND KEEPING A HEALTHY HOUSE. M 1284. June 1974. 60 cents.
Single copies of the following are available free from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D.C. 20250. Please address yom request to the office indicated.
From Office of Communication:
• HOW TO PREVENT AND REMOVE MILDEW-HOME METHODS. G 68. Revised
February 1974.
• HOW TO BUY MEAT FOR YOUR FREEZER. G 166. Slightly revised July 1974.
From Information Division, Food and Nutrition Service:
• A SUPPLEMENT TO A GUIDE FOR PLANNING FOOD SERVICE IN CHILD CARE
CENTERS. FNS 64 Supplement. December 1974. (Food Buying Guide for Child Care
Centers. FNS 108.)
CONVENIENCE AND THE COST OF BAKED PRODUCTS
by Linda Collier and Dianne Odland
Most convenience baked products are more
costly than equal amounts of similar products
prepared from home recipes. Generally, ready­to-
eat or heat-and-serve products-those with
the most convenience built in-are the most
expensive. To illustrate these differences, costs
of biscuits, sugar cookies, pancakes, and yeast
rolls made from basic ingredients and from
several convenience forms were compared using
prices from three Washington, D.C., super­markets
in January 1975 (sec table).
Both the homemade products and the con­venience
items used in these comparisons were
prepared in the foods laboratory of the Con­sumer
and Food Economics Institute. Com­mercial
products were prepared according to
package directions. Homemade products, made
according to standardized recipes, approxi­mated
but did not exactly duplicate the
convenience items. The home-prepared
products and all but three of the convenience
items were made with enriched flour. Sugar
cookies and yeast rolls made from a mix and
frozen pancakes did not contain enriched flour;
the frozen pancakes, however, were fortified
with vitamins.
Cost per serving of each convenience baked
product was compared with cost per serving of
14
the home-prepared product. A single serving1
of the home-prepared produ·ct was used as a
reference in computing the number of servings
per recipe for each convenience item and in
making cost comparisons. The cost of energy
(fuel) for baking was not considered.
Compared to costs for basic ingredients for
home-prepared products, the Washington
shopper paid-
Slightly less for:
Biscuits made from mix with milk added.
Pancakes made from mix with water
added.
Slightly more for :
Biscuits from refrigerated cans.
Sugar cookies from mix with egg added,
from a refrigerated roll of dough, or
ready-to-eat.
Pancakes made from mix with egg, oil and
milk added.
Yeast rolls frozen or made from a mix
with water added.
1 A serving was d~> fin e d as 2 baking powder biscui ts,
1.90 oz ; 2 sugar cookies, 0.55 oz; 3 pancakes, 5.86 oz;
and 1 yeast roll, 1.34 o z. Costs in the table were based
on these fi gures.
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
Cost of Home-Prepared and Convenience Baked Products1
Product
Baking powder biscuits:
Home prepared ... ....... . . .
Mix, from 40-oz. pkg. •
(add milk) ......... . ..... .
Refrigerated, 8-oz. can ... . . .. .
Sugar cookies :
Home prepared ..... .. .. ... .
Mix, 10-oz. pkg. (add egg) .... .
Refrigerated, 18-oz. pkg.
(chilled-in-roll) .. .. . ...... .
Ready-to-eat, 13. 5-oz. pkg.
Pancakes:
Home prepared .. . ... ...... .
Mix, from 32-oz. pkg. s
(add water) .............. .
Mix, from 16-oz. pkg. s
(add egg, corn oil, and milk) ..
Frozen, 10.5-oz. pkg.
(heat in toaster or over)
Yeast rolls:
Home prepared ........... . .
Mix, 14.25-oz. pkg. (add water) .
Frozen, 24·oz. pkg. (unbaked) ..
Brown-and-serve, 12-oz. pkg ... .
Ready-to-eat, 8-oz. pkg .. ... . . .
Servings
per
recipe2
Number
7.2
6.8
4.1
29.6
20.8
29.5
25.3
2.7
1.5
2.1
1.6
24.0
16.2
17.5
9.1
6.7
Cost Cost relative to cost
per of home prepared
serving3 product per serving3
Cents Percent
3.8 100
3.6 93
4.3 113
2.6 100
3.0 115
3.1 120
3.1 120
12.8 100
7.9 61
14.7 115
32.6 254
2.7 100
3.5 129
4.0 146
6.4 236
10.6 391
' Costs are averages based on food prices from 3 Washington, D.C. area supermarkets, January 1975.
2 Total yield of baked products in ounces divided by weight per serving of the home-prepared product. A single
serving was defined as 2 baking powder biscuits, 1.90 oz.; 2 sugar cookies, 0.55 oz.; 3 pancakes, 5.86 oz.; and 1
yeast roll, 1.34 ounces.
3 Calculated from unrounded numbe.rs.
• 2 cups of mix per recipe were prepared according to package directions.
5 1 cup of mix per recipe was prepared according to package directions.
Note: Methodology used in this study is based on methodology for a 1963 study reported in "Comparative Costs
to Consumers of Convenience Foods and Home-Prepared Foods," MRR No. 609, Economic Research Service,
USDA, 1965.
Two to four times as much for:
Pancakes, frozen ready for toaster or
oven.
Yeast rolls, brown-and-serve or ready-to­eat.
It is up to the consumer to decide which
product is best-the home-prepared or con­venience
item. Even if the family budget allows
the extra cost of some of these convenience
products, factors such as family preferences,
culinary skills, time and equipment available
for baking, and the number of individuals to
feed may influence the decision.
SPRING 1975
Tips to be aware of that might help cut the
costs of baked goods include:
• Compare prices in several stores.
• Look for "special" prices on baked goods.
• Check different brands, including store
brands, of baked products.
• Look for markdowns on ready-to-eat
baked items.
• Note what ingredients must be added to
mixes.
The type of ingredients used in home recipes
can also increase or decrease the cost of a
product-for instance, reconstituted nonfat dry
15
milk or evaporated milk instead of whole milk;
margarine, vegetable shortening, or oil instead
of butter; medium eggs instead of large or
extra-large eggs. Where substitution will not
adversely affect taste and texture, choosing the
less expensive ingredient will save money.
Baked products are prominent as a part of
the diets of most Americans. Smart shoppers
will compare costs of homemade baked goods
with those from convenience forms to see that
they are not spending more for convenience
than they intend.
ZINC IN FOODS
by Barbara Wells Willis and Ann P. Mangubat
Zinc is a mineral present in small or trace
amounts in all living matter. The human body
contains approximately 2 to 3 grams of zinc.
This small amount (a nickel weighs about 5
grams) is distributed throughout the body and
is necessary for proper functioning of some
important enzyme systems within the body.
Zinc aids in the formation of protein, is
necessary for growth and normal sexual
development in children, and facilitates wound
healing. Lack of zinc has been shown to impair
the senses of taste and smell.
The research that has led to our current
knowledge of the functions of zinc and of the
body's requirement for zinc has been done
mainly in the past 10 years. The Food and
Nutrition Board (FNB) of the National
Research Council-National Academy of
Sciences, which has established and published
recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for
over 30 years, included an RDA for zinc in its
latest revision. 1 The RDA are amounts of
essential nutrients considered adequate for
practically all healthy persons, and as such,
may exceed the requirements of many
individuals. FNB recommends that all
individuals over 10 years of age try to consume
15 milligrams of zinc each day.2 The best
1 Food and Nutrition Board, Recommended Dietary
Allowances 1974, 8th rev. ed., National Academy of
Sciences-National Research Council 197 4.
2 Recommended dietary allowances for all age
groups:
16
Up to 6 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 mg/day
6 months to 1 year ........... ... 5 mg/day
1 to 10 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 mg/day
11 years and over ... ........... 15 mg/day
Pregnant women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 mg/day
Lactating women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 mg/day
assurance of meeting this recommendation is to
consume a varied diet.
The accompanying table divides foods into
four categories, based on their zinc content in
common household units of foods. Within each
category, the foods listed first have the highest
concentrations of zinc, and those listed last
have the lowest concentrations within that
group. For example, for equal serving sizes,
oysters have more zinc than beef, beef more
than lamb, and lamb more than pork. If larger
or smaller servings than those designated are
eaten, then the zinc content is proportionately
increased or decreased.
Foods from animal sources are generally
good sources of zinc. Seeds of plants, such as
legumes and nuts, and bran and germ of grains
are also good sources of zinc. Other parts of
the plant (leaves, stems, roots, blossoms) and
fruits are very low in zinc content. Fats, oils,
sugars, and beverages (other than milk and milk
products) contain almost no zinc and should
not be counted on to provide more than
incidental amounts of zinc to the diet.
Milling of grains removes substantial
amounts of zinc. For example, whole grain
wheat contains about 2.7 milligrams of zinc per
100 grams, while cake or pastry flour, which
has had the bran and germ removed, contains
only 0.3 milligrams of zinc per 100 grams.
Similarly, whole wheat bread contains 1.0 mill­igrams
of zinc in two slices, while white bread
contains 0.4 milligrams of zinc in two slices
(average of two slices of bread is 56 grams).
Frozen food contains the same amount of zinc
as its fresh form. Canning may increase the zinc
content slightly, perhaps due to leaching of
zinc from the can. Cooking food by either
moist or dry heat has little effect on the zinc
content of that food.
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
Zinc in household measures of food
Food group
Zinc per household measure
More than 3 mg 1-3 mg 0.5-0.9 mg Less than 0. 5 mg
Shellfish, meat, oysters, raw' chicken, dark tuna fish
poultry, fish beef meat fish, white
(3 oz cooked, beef or calves lobster chicken breast
unless other- liver turkey, light sausage, cold
wise stated). poultry heart meat cuts and
lamb shrimp, 6 luncheon meats,
turkey, dark meat salmon, solids & 1 slice
crab liquid, 1/2 cup
gizzard clams ( 4 or 5)
veal
pork
Dairy products milk, nonfat, cheese, 1 oz milk, whole, margarine, 1/2 cup
and eggs. dry, 1 cup 1 cup buter, 1/2 cup
ice cream, 1 cup
egg, whole, one
Grain products flour, whole cookies, 10 corn chips, 1 oz
(1 cup unless wheat vanilla wafers bread, white,
otherwise cornmeal, rice, cooked, 2 slices
stated). degermed white cake or pastry
oatmeal, cooked wheat germ, flour
rice, cooked, toasted, 1 tbsp cake, white,
brown wheat cereals, 1 piece, 3x3x2"
bread, whole ready-to-eat, crackers, graham,
wheat, 1 oz 2 squares
2 slices macaroni, cooked popcorn, popped
bread flour crackers, saltines,
all purpose 10 crackers
flour corn flakes, 1 oz
Vegetables and beans, mature, peas, immature, beans, green, cooked
legumes (1/2 dry - cooked corn, canned
cup unless cowpeas, cooked spinach, cooked lettuce, 1/6 head
otherwise peas, mature potato, 1 med.,
stated). chickpeas cooked
lentils carrot, 1 med., raw
cabbage, raw,
shredded
onions, mature or
green
tomato, ripe,
2-3/5" diam.
Fruits and fruit applesauce
juices (1/2 cup banana, 1 med.
unless other- orange, one, raw
wise stated). orange juice,
canned,
unsweetened
peach, one, raw,
peeled
apple, one, raw
Other foods. cocoa, approx. coffee, fluid
5 tbsp beverage, 1 cup
chocolate syrup,
2 tbsp
beverages, carbo-nated,
12 fl. oz
tea, fluid
beverage, 1 cup
1 More than 5 mg zinc per common household unit.
SPRING 1975 17
COST OF FOOD AT HOME, U.S. AND REGIONS
Cost of Food at Home 1 Estimated for Food Plans at Three Cost Levels,
January 1975, U.S. Average
Cost for 1 week Cost for 1 month
Sex-age groups•
Low-cost Moderate- Liberal Low-cost Moderate- Liberal
plan cost plan plan plan cost plan plan
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
FAMILIES
Family of 2:
20 to 35 years3 .......... .. 27.60 34.80 42.30 119.80 150.70 183.30
55 to 75 years 3 ............ 22.30 28.60 34.20 96.80 124.00 148.00
Family of 4:
Preschool children • ... .... .. 39.80 50.10 60.60 172.60 217.10 262.00
School children 5 ........... 46.50 58.80 71.50 201.80 254.90 309.80
INDIVIDUALS'
Children, under 1 year .. ...... 5.20 6.40 7.20 22.30 27.80 31.10
1 to 3 years ............... 6.70 8 .30 9.90 28.90 35.90 42.70
3 to 6 years ....... . ...... . 8.00 10.20 12.20 34.80 44.20 52.70
6 to 9 years ............... 9.90 12.60 15.50 42.90 54.50 67.20
Girls, 9 to 12 years ........... 11.20 14.30 16.60 48.40 61.80 71.80
12 to 15 years ....... . ..... 12.30 15.80 19.00 53.50 68.50 82.10
15 to 20 years ............. 12.50 15.60 18.40 54.20 67.70 79.70
Boys, 9 to 12 years .. . ..... .. 11.50 14.60 17.50 50.00 63.40 76.00
12 to 15 years ............. 13.60 17.60 20.80 58.80 76.20 90.30
15 to 20 years ... .. . . ..... . 15.60 19.70 23.50 67.70 85.10 101.70
Women, 20 to 35 years ....... 11.50 14.50 17.40 50.00 63.00 75.20
35 to 55 years . .... ........ 11.00 13.90 16.60 47.80 60.20 71.80
55 to 75 years ........ . .... 9.30 11.90 14.10 40.20 51.40 60.90
7 5 years and over ••• 0 •••••• 8.40 10.50 12.80 36.30 45.70 55.30
Pregnant ................. 13.50 16.70 19.70 58.50 72.50 85.40
Nursing .................. 15.80 19.50 22.80 68.50 84.30 98.90
Men, 20-35 years ........... . 13.60 17.10 21.10 58.90 74.00 91.40
35 to 55 years ......... .... 12.50 15.80 19.10 54.30 68.50 83.00
55 to 75 years ............. 11.00 14.10 17.00 47.80 61.30 73.60
7 5 years and over • • •••• 0 ••• 10.30 13.50 16.20 44.50 58.60 70.40
1 These estimates were computed from computed from quantities in food plans published in Family Economics
Review, October 1964. The costs of the food plans were first estimated by using the average price per pound of
each food group paid by urban survey famHies at three selected income levels in 1965. These prices were adjusted
to current levels by use of Retail Food Prices by Cities released periodically by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2 Age groups include the persons of the first age listed up to but not including those of the second age listed.
3 Ten percent added for family size adjustment.
• Man and woman, 20-35 years; children, 1-3 and 3-6 years.
5 Man and woman, 20-35; child, 6-9 and boy 9-12 years.
'The costs given are for individuals in 4-person families. For individuals in other size families, the following
adjustments are suggested: 1-person- add 20 percent; 2-person- add 10 percent; 3-person- add 5 percent ;
5-person-subtract 5 percent; 6-or·more-person-subtract 10 percent.
18 FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
Cost of Food at Home 1 Estimated for Food Plans at Three Cost Levels,
January 1975, Northeast Region
Cost for 1 week Cost for 1 month
Sex-age groups2
Low-cost Moderate- Liberal Low-cost Moderate-plan
cost plan plan plan cost plan
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
FAMILIES
Family of 2: 2
20 to 54 years ............. 29.50 37.50 45.00 127.70 162.80
55 years and over ••• 0 •••• • 0 26.10 32.90 39.30 113.00 142.30
Family of 4:
Children, 1-2, and 3-5 years .. 41.60 52.60 63.00 180.20 228.20
Children, 6-8 and 9-11 years .. 50.40 64.10 76.70 218.60 277.90
INDIVIDUALS3
Child:
7 months to 1 year ......... 5.50 6.90 8.10 24.00 29.90
1 to 2 years ..... .......... 6.70 8.40 10.00 29.10 36.30
3 to 5 years . ....... .. . .... 8.10 10.10 12.10 35.00 43.90
6 to 8 years .... ..... ..... . 10.50 13.30 15.90 45.60 57.70
9 to 11 years .............. 13.10 16.70 19.90 56.90 72.20
Male:
12 to 14 years ........ .. . .. 14.00 17.80 21.20 60.80 77.10
15 to 19 years ............. 15.40 19.60 23.40 66.80 84.80
20 to 54 years ............. 14.90 19.00 22.90 64.40 82.50
55 years and over ....... . .. 13.00 16.50 19.80 56.50 71.40
Female:
12 to 19 years ............. 12.40 15.60 18.50 53.70 67.60
20 to 54 years ..... .. ..... . 11.90 15.10 18.00 51.70 65.50
55 years and over 0 ••••• 0 ••• 10.70 13.40 15.90 46.20 58.00
Pregnant •• •••••• • ••• 0 0 ••• 14.70 18.40 21.90 63.60 79.70
Nursing ...... .. .......... 15.60 19.70 23.50 67 .70 85.50
Liberal
plan
Dollars
195.10
170.20
273.20
332.60
35.10
43.20
52.60
68.90
86.30
91.90
101.50
99.30
85.70
80.40
78.10
69.00
94.80
101.80
1 These estimates were computed from quantities of food plans published in Family Economics Review, Winter
1975. The costs of the food plans were first estimated by using the average price per pound of each food group
paid by urban survey families in the Northeast at three selected food cost levels in 1965-66. These prices were
adjusted to current levels by use of Retail Food Prices by Cities (Boston; New York, Northeastern New Jersey;
Philadelphia) released periodically by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2 Ten percent added for family size adjustment. See footnote 3.
3 The costs given are for individuals in 4-person families. For individuals in other size families, the following
adjustments are suggested: 1-person-add 20 percent; 2-person-add 10 percent; 3-person-add 5 percent;
5-person-subtract 5 percent; 6-or-more-person-subtract 10 percent.
SPRING 1975
19
Cost of Food at Home, 1 Estimated for Food Plans at Three Cost Levels,
January 1975, North Central Region
Cost for 1 week Cost for 1 month
Sex-age groups
Low-cost Moderate- Liberal Low-cost Moderate-plan
cost plan plan plan cost plan
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
FAMILIES
Family of 2:'
20 to 54 years ... . ......... 28.20 34.50 41.50 121.80 149.60
55 years and over . ... ...... 25.00 30.40 36.20 108.10 131.30
Family of 4:
Children, 1-2 and 3-5 years .. . 39.80 48.50 58.20 172.20 210.30
Children, 6-8 and 9-11 years .. 48.30 59.30 71.00 209.10 256.60
INDIVIDUALS'
Child:
7 months to 1 year . ~ . . . . . . . 5.40 6.40 7.50 23.20 27.70
1 to 2 years ........ . ...... 6.40 7.70 9.20 27.90 33.60
3 to 5 years ..... .... ... . .. 7.80 9.40 11.30 33.60 40.70
6 to 8 years ..... . ......... 10.10 12.40 14.80 43.70 53.50
9 to 11 years .............. 12.60 15.50 18.50 54.70 67.10
Male:
12 to 14 years ............. 13.40 16.50 19.70 58.30 71.30
15 io 19 years ............. 14.80 18.10 21.70 64.00 78.50
20 to 54 years ............. 14.20 17.50 21.10 61.40 75.90
55 years and over .......... 12.50 15.20 18.20 54.00 65.80
Female:
12 to 19 years ............. 11.90 14.40 17.20 51.60 62.60
20 to 54 years ............. 11.40 13.90 16.60 49.30 60.10
55 years and over .......... 10.20 12.40 14.70 44.30 53.60
Pregnant 0 • ••••••• •••••••• 14.00 16.90 20.20 60.80 73.40
Nursing .................. 14.90 18.20 21.70 64.60 78.70
Liberal
plan
Dollars
179.50
156.90
251.70
307.40
32.50
39.70
48.80
64.00
80.20
85.20
94.10
91.30
78.90
74.50
71.90
63.70
87.50
93.90
' These estimates were computed from quantities in food plans published in Family Economics Review, Winter
1975. The costs of the food plans were first estimated by using the average price per pound of each food group
paid by urban survey families in the North Central Region at three selected food cost levels in 1965-66. These
prices were adjusted to current levels by use of Retail Food Prices by Cities (Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St.
Louis) released periodically by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2 Ten percent added for family size adjustment. See footnote 3.
3 The costs given are for individuals in 4-person families. For individuals in other size families, the following
adjustments are suggested: 1-person-add 20 percent; 2-person-add 10 percent; 3-person-adcl 5 percent;
5-person--subtract 5 percent; 6-or-more-person--subtract 10 percent.
20
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
Cost of Food at Home, 1 Estimated for Food Plans at Three Cost Levels,
January 1975, Southern Region
Cost for 1 week Cost for 1 month
Sex-age groups Low-cost Moderate- Liberal Low-cost Moderate-plan
cost plan plan plan cost plan
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
FAMILIES
Family of 2:2
20 to 54 years .... ........ . 27.80 34.20 39.50 120.20 148.30
55 years and over .......... 24.50 29.90 34.30 106.30 129.70
Family of 4:
Children, 1·2 and 3-5 years ... 39.00 47.80 55.30 169.00 207.30
Children, 6-8 and 9-11 years .. 47.40 58.40 67.40 205.30 253.40
INDIVIDUALS~
Child:
7 months to 1 year ......... 5.10 6.20 7.20 22.30 27.00
1 to 2 years ............... 6.20 7.50 8.70 27.00 32.60
3 to 5 years ............... 7.50 9.20 10.70 32.70 39.90
6 to 8 years ............... 9.80 12.10 14.00 42.60 52.60
9 to 11 years . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 12.30 15.20 17.50 53.40 66.00
Male:
12 to 14 years ............. 13.20 16.20 18.60 57.00 70.20
15 to 19 years . . ........... 14.50 17.90 20.60 63.00 77.50
20 to 54 years ............. 14.00 17.30 20.00 60.50 75.00
55 years and over •• • 0. 0 •••• 12.20 15.00 17.20 53.00 64.90
Female:
12 to 19 years ............. 11.70 14.30 16.40 50.80 61.90
20 to 54 years ....... . ... . . 11.30 13.80 15.90 48.80 59.80
55 years and over •• 0. 0 • • 0 •• 10.10 12.20 14.00 43.60 53.00
Pregnant . . ........... .. .. 13.80 16.80 19.40 60.00 72.90
Nursing .. . .... ..... . ..... 14.70 18.00 20.80 63.90 78.20
Liberal
plan
Dollars
171.10
148.90
239.60
291.90
31.40
37.80
46.30
60.60
75.80
80.80
89.30
86.60
74.70
71.10
68.90
60.70
83.80
89.90
1 These estimates were computed from quantities in food plans published in Family Economics Review, Winter
197 5. The costs of the food plans were first estimated by using the average price per pound of each food group
paid by urban survey families in the South at three selected food cost levels in 1965-66. These prices were adjusted
to current levels by use of Retail Food Prices by Cities (Atlanta; Baltimore; Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia)
released periodically by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2 Ten percent added for family size adjustment. See footnote 3.
3 The costs given are for individuals in 4-person families. For individuals in other size families, the following
adjustments are suggested : 1-person-add 20 percent ; 2-person-add 10 percent; 3-person-add 5 percent;
5-person-subtract. 5 percent; 6-or-more-person-subtract 10 percent.
SPRING 1975
21
Cost of Food at Home1 Estimated for Food Plans at Three Cost Levels,
January 1975, Western Region
Cost for 1 week Cost for 1 month
Sex-age groupss
Low·cost Moderate· Liberal Low·cost Moderate·
plan cost plan plan plan cost plan
Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars Dollars
FAMILIES
Family of 2: 2
20 to. 54 years .......... . .. 27.70 34.80 41.90 120.20 150.70
55 yeat·s and over .......... 24.60 30.70 36.70 107.00 132.70
Family of 4:
Children, 1·2 and 3·5 years ... 39.30 48.90 59.00 170.20 211.80
Children, 6·8 and 9·11 years .. 47.70 59.70 72.10 207.00 258.90
INDIVIDUALS'
Child:
7 months Lo 1 year ••••• 0 ••• 5.30 6.40 7.80 23.10 27.80
1 to 2 years . . ... . ......... 6.40 7.80 9.40 27.60 33.70
3 to 5 years . . ............. 7.70 9.50 11.50 33.30 41.10
6 to 8 years ............... 10.00 12.50 15.10 43.40 54.10
9 to 11 years .............. 12.50 15.60 18.90 54.30 67.80
Male:
12 to 14 years ............. 13.30 16.60 20.00 57.70 71.90
15 to 19 years ............. 14.60 18.20 22.00 63.20 78.90
20 to 54 years ............. 14.00 17.60 21.30 60.70 76.50
55 years and over .... . ..... 12.30 15.40 18.50 53.50 66.50
Female:
12 to 19 years ....... .. . . .. 11.80 14.50 17.50 51.10 63.00
20 to 54 years ....... .. . . .. 11.20 14.00 16.80 48.60 60.50
55 years and over .......... 10.10 12.50 14.90 43.80 54.10
Pregnant ••••••• • •• 0 ..... .. 13.80 17.10 20.40 59.90 73 .90
Nursing ........... . ...... 14.70 18.30 21.90 63.70 79.30
Liberal
pl an
Dollars
181.50
159.30
255.40
312.10
33.70
40.60
49.80
65.30
81.80
86.60
95.50
92.30
80.10
75.80
72.70
64.70
88.60
95.00
'These estimates were computed from quantities in food plans published in Family Economics Review, Winter
197 5. The costs of the food plans were first estimated by using Lhe average price per pound of each food group
paid by urban survey families in the West at three selected food cost levels in 1965·66. These prices were adjusted
to current levels by use of Retail Food Prices by Cities (Los Angeles; San Francisco, Oakland) released periodically
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
,2 Ten percent added for family size adjustment. See footnote 3.
3 The costs given are for individuals in 4-person families. For individuals in other size families, the following
adjustments are suggested: 1·person-add 20 percent; 2·person-add 10 percent; 3-person-add 5 percent;
5-person--subtract 5 percent; 6-or·more·person--subtract 10 percent.
22 FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
CONSUMER PRICES
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
Group
All items ........ . ... . ........ .
Food ............. ......... .
Food at home .. . ........... .
Food away from home ....... .
Housing .......... ... ....... .
Shelter ................... .
Rent ....... ..... ....... .
Homeownership .......... .
Fuel and utilities .. ..... .... .
Fuel oil and coal ......... . .
Gas and electricity . ........ .
Household furnishings and
operation ................ .
Apparel and upkeep . .... . .... .
Men's and boys' ... .. .. ..... .
Women's and girls' .... ..... . .
Footwear .. .... .. .. ....... .
Transportation .. . ....... .. .. .
Private .... . .............. .
Public .. ... . .............. .
Health and recreation ......... .
Medical care ............... .
Personal care .............. .
Reading and recreation ....... .
Other goods and services ..... .
(1967 = 100)
Jan. 1975
156.1
170.9
171.4
169.0
161.2
164.3
134.0
175.6
160.5
228.9
160.2
153.2
139.4
140.0
135.1
142.2
143.2
142.2
152.2
148.9
161.0
146.5
141.0
144.8
Dec. 1974
155.4
169.7
170.3
167.6
159.9
163.0
133.5
174.0
158.4
228.8
156.7
152.3
141.9
142.5
140.0
142.2
143.5
142.5
152.0
147.5
159.0
145.3
139.8
143.9
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nov. 1974
154.3
167.8
168.3
166.2
158.3
161.2
132.8
171.7
157.1
229.2
154.0
151.0
142.4
142.6
141.5
142.8
143.4
142.7
149.5
146.3
157.5
144.2
138.8
142.7
Index of Prices Paid by Farmers for Family Living Items
(1967 = 100)
Item Feb. Jan. Dec. Nov. Oct.
1975 1975 1974 1974 1974
All items .. .. . .... .. .. .... ... 175 173 173 171 167
Food and tobacco • 0 •••• 0 •••• -·- -~·- 178 ·-- ·--
Clothing --- -·- 182 -·· --- • •• ••• 0 •••••••••••
Household operation ... ...... --- ··- 165 --· --·
Household furnishings . .. ..... --· --- 149 --· ---
Building materials, house .. ... . --- ... 176 --· --·
Source : U.S. Department of Agriculture, Statistical Reporting Service.
SPRING 1975
Sept.
1974
166
167
176
160
146
181
Jan. 1974
139.7
153.7
154.3
151.6
142.2
147.4
127.3
154.8
140.8
194.6
134.3
129.0
128.8
127.7
127.8
133.0
128.1
126.2
146.0
133.7
142.2
129.8
128.3
131.8
Feb.
1974
153
---
-·-
· ·-
---
-·-
23
FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
SPRING 1975
Food Plans and Family Budgeting
Betty Peterkin
CONTENTS
Page
3
Composition of the Labor Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Expenditures for Improving and Repairing the Family Home
Lucie G. Krassa
Federal Home Loan Bank Board Prohibits
11
Sex Discrimination in Home Lending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
' Convenience and the Cost of Baked Products......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Linda Collier and Dianne Odland
Zinc in Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Barbara Wells Willis and Ann P. M.angubat
Regular Features
Some New USDA Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cost of Food at Home, U.S. and Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Consumer Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Issued May 197 5
I •. f "\.•
24 FAMILY ECONOMICS REVIEW
'f:t U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1975·621-496/ 3284 3-1