本篇文章檢視家庭結構與家庭所得對家庭資源配置的影響。研究發現，所得較高的家庭配置較多的資源在正常財的消費上。單親家庭花較多的資源在醫療服務與劣等財的支出，且配置較少的資源在正常財上。和雙說家庭比較起來，這個發現顯示單親家庭在經濟上的弱勢。單親家庭也有不同的偏好，單身父親家庭配置較多的資源在屬於成人的消費上，如煙酒費。單身母親家庭則配置較多的資源在與家庭或小孩子有關的支出上，如教育支出。

This paper empirically examines the effects of family income and family structure on family resource allocation behavior. The results indicate that, with everything else held constant, families with higher income allocate a greater share of their resources to normal goods than do low-income families. With family income held constant, single-parent families allocate more of their expenditure to medical services and inferior goods, and allocate much less of their resources to normal goods. This expenditure behavior suggests that single-parent families have an economically disadvantaged status compared to two-parent families. On the other hand, these single-parent families have different preferences as well. Single-father families allocate more of their resources to adult goods such as drinking and tobacco while single-mother families devote more resources to family- and/or child-oriented goods such as education.