The Monthly Food Stamp Cycle: Shopping Frequency and Food Intake Decisions in an Endogenous Switching Regression Framework

Parke E. Wilde and Christine K. Ranney

Elsewhere No. (0205), February 2002

This article makes two contributions to the study of food demand by U.S. food stamp recipients. First, it employs nationally representative data to describe and measure monthly cycles in food expenditure and food intake. Second, because the food intake cycle is found to depend on the frequency of major grocery trips, the article develops and estimates an econometric model of consumers’ shopping frequency and food intake decisions in two halves of the food stamp month. The results of the model have implications for policies that affect the frequency of grocery shopping by food stamp households, such as delivery of food stamp benefits twice per month rather than once per month.

Keywords: Food Stamp Program, FSP, food stamps, food assistance, food expenditure, food use, food intake, Consumer Expenditure Survey, CES, Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals, CSFII, food security, food insecurity, hunger, safety net programs

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Updated date: February 2002