Questions tagged [household]

For questions pertaining to household like household expenses, planning/managing household expenses or referencing financial situation of a part or whole household/family

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Can I hedge my household expenses using the financial markets?

Apparently farmers can hedge against high raw material prices and low crop prices by using financial instruments such as forwards and futures. Can I use financial instruments to similarly hedge my household expenses against unfavorable prices? A…
Flux
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Is it okay to put household utilities in girlfriend's name if I own the home?

I just bought a house. My girlfriend is going to be living with me, but the house is in only my name. To split the expenses, we are planning on her paying all of the utilities. Is there any problem with the home being in my name, but the gas,…
user17778
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What should I do with my $10K windfall, given these options?

Let's say you get a $10k windfall. How do you determine what is the best thing to spend it on? We need a new roof. Our mortgage is moderately underwater but not in bad shape and we are content where we are. We make $550 in monthly car payments--owe…
Don
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Are solar cell panels and wind mills worth the money?

Besides being more environmentally friendly is it worth the investment in solar cell panels and wind mills for home use? Is it possible to be "off the grid" completely?
Zephyr
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how do you verify your household budget?

I have a monthly household budget where I track income and expenses broken down by category. It's just an Excel spreadsheet where I enter the amounts from all receipts into the appropriate category. It's quite easy to make a mistake when…
Eugene
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How do I budget for heating & cooling?

I'm revisiting my budget and the amount I have slated for electricity was off by roughly 30 dollars or 50 percent. I live in an all electric apartment, no gas or fireplace. Here in Kansas we get cold winters and hot summers, but I've always had a…
jldugger
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Hiring a teenager as a household employee

What am I required to do if I hire a 14-year-old for household work? Any generic information is welcome, but I'm in New York State. Here are some things that come to mind: Do I need to have the child fill out an I-9? Where can I find the laws…
Jeremy Stein
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Should I buy a house or am I making silly assumptions that I can afford it?

Having convinced myself that there is no point of paying someone's else mortgage I started looking at ways for buying my own place. I'm 26, non-UK resident. My salary is £50,000 and I don't have to repay a student loan or have any personal debts.…
Chris
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Is a fixed-price natural gas or electricity contract likely to save money?

Is a fixed-price natural gas or electricity contract likely to save money? These types of contracts are often marketed to homeowners to save $$ on their utility bills. When would such a contract make sense for a homeowner? What are the "gotchas"…
bms2
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How do you typically pay a deposit for a house?

I am in the final stages of buying a house. My solicitor has given me bank details and requested that I send the full amount owed for the house + solicitors fees - mortgage. This totals around 120,000 so no small amount of money. My solicitor seems…
lorless
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How do I calculate my net worth according to the book "The Millionaire Next Door"?

I remember reading about PAWs, UAWs, and AAWs. I also remember that the formula for what your net worth should be on average (to be an AAW) is your income (without inheritance[s]) multiplied by one tenth of your age. But I also remember reading…
Kelsey
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What to do if my aging father is sustaining a hobby that is losing several thousand dollars every month?

My grandfather owned a large and successful bookstore company. My father became was the manager of this company. Due to political reasons, my father was kicked out this family business. (He was pro-Democracy while his siblings were not). After…
tech
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Effect of country default on house prices?

What effect would a sovereign default of a European country (i.e. Italy/Greece) have on house prices of the same country that goes in default? What does the previous literature says about similar cases? (i.e. Argentina) I heard that a country…
Marco Demaio
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How much should I tip movers?

Are there any rules of thumb for tipping movers who load truck on one day and deliver on the next day?
zundarz
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Are you better off going with the BIG energy provider in town or a smaller competitor?

I live in Maryland and we have our energy delivered from BGE (Baltimore Gas & Electric). That means they manage and service the power lines and I have no choice in that matter. We do however, have the option to have a different energy supplier.…
Joel B
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