Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1988

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Home Economics Education

Major Professor

Jacquelyn McInnis

Committee Members

Jean Skinner, Etta Mae Westbrook

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine grocery shopping practices of food stamp recipients in Anderson County, Tennessee, located in the Appalachian region of East Tennessee. The final sample consisted of 242 food stamp recipients who returned a questionnaire which was mailed to 800 randomly selected food stamp recipients. The questionnaire was designed to measure the frequency of use of money-saving strategies including using coupons, using unit pricing, buying generic products, buying sale items, and shopping at multiple stores. The questionnaire also included questions to determine shopping practices and demographic variables which were later compared to one's use of money-saving strategies. The respondents' skill in computing unit prices was measured and the food stamp recipients were asked about their attitudes toward money-saving strategies. The study also attempted to determine differences between specific shopping practices and demographic variables by comparing categorical data.

Findings indicated that the majority of the sample shopped at chain stores, used a car owned by someone in the household, and shopped either weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. The majority did not have a regular shopping time, did not shop with children, and home storage space for food did not affect their purchases. The majority of the sample regularly used unit pricing, bought sale items, shopped at multiple stores, used a shopping list, and read sale advertisements. Respondents tended to use coupons and generic products regularly or occasionally and never or only occasionally listened to radio or television advertisements. The majority had positive attitudes toward using coupons, using unit pricing, buying sale items, shopping at multiple stores, and toward generic product quality and taste. However, the majority had negative attitudes toward generic product labeling. Findings also indicated that high users of money-saving strategies were more likely to be females with higher educational levels. Those more likely to be able to compute unit prices were those who used unit pricing frequently and those with higher educational levels. Those recipients with positive attitudes toward the money-saving strategies were more likely to be regular users of each strategy.

Findings also indicated that those who read advertisements in newspapers and circulars regularly and those who listened to television and radio advertisements regularly were more likely to buy sale items regularly. The more newspapers and magazines containing coupons or sale advertisements one received, the more likely one was to use coupons regularly and to read sale advertisements regularly.

Based on the findings, education concerning money-saving strategies should be aimed at individuals with low educational levels. Individuals could be taught about the existence of and use of money-saving strategies available to them. Individuals should be taught skills in computing unit pricing. Consumers may need education aimed at changing the negative attitudes toward the use of money-saving strategies, in order to then be taught about the use of money-saving strategies. Alternative sources of information concerning money-saving strategies could also be shared with individuals.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS