Hubby is waiting news on his relocation to Houston. Hopefully we can afford to buy a new home outright (thank you british property prices and dollar exchange rate). I notice that monthly bills are slightly different over there. Can you tell me what monthly bills I can expect. I have a list so far of HOA, House Tax, Water, Electric, Gas, Phone, Internet, Cable TV, House Insurance, Car Insurance. Have I forgotten anything?

Welcome to BE - what sort of job brings you to Houston? Any idea where you're going to be living yet?

Looks like you've about got the bills covered. The only glaring omission is medical insurance, which can be pretty hefty, but presumably he'll be on a company scheme, and the company have given you details of that.

Most of those are monthly, but HOA and Property Tax are normally annual (may have monthly HOA in an apartment). Car Insurance is normally 6-monthly with options for monthly payments with a premium.

Cheers

hello and welcome to BE

yorkie mentioned the medical and besides that all i see missing is car payments. no worries if you're paying cash or it's company, just thought i'd mention it.

welcome to BE

have a search through the forums as there have been quite a few threads on houston recently...

as for bills, depending on where you live, might have to pay for rubbish collection on top, car/plate registration each year and inspection.

Mentioned already though, the big one will be medical insurance, how much you pay depends on the cover the employer offers, you might pay nothing, or you might pay $250 a month or more and get a wildly varied level of cover, don't forget to budget for co-pays and deductibles.

If you've got kids, all the extra rubbish that goes with having them, like school events etc.

Which adds up....my first grader has been at school for all of 4 days and so far we've had $52 school supplies, $3 for school diary/planner, $6 for PTA membership (optional, but any classes with 100% sign up of parents get a pizza party...............), T-shirt $15 (optional but all the kids wear them on Fridays..). First Fundraiser will be 1st week sept, and it goes on.....

Ps - round our way at least, not sure if this applies for the whole of Houston, the garbage collection is included in the HOA fees.

yup!

NRA membership, hunting licence, deer tags...

We have just been hit with $350 cheerleading outfit and $400 equestrian team and they seem to be the cheaper ones!!!!!
We also have a school fund?! $10 per child on top of the taxes and purchase of school supplies.
If you are a senior and you haven't paid the $10 they won't let you have your cap and gown until you do!!!

Never mind ..at least they are back at school

$350 for a cheerleading outfit? That's crazy! It's a shirt and a skirt, right? How can that cost $350 bucks?

I don't know. It does include shoes, long trousers, winter jacket, body suit as well as the skirt and shirt and pom poms but even so
We will all be wearing it just to get our moneys worth... and, no, it won't be a pretty sight

Well with all that it's not quite as bad, I guess.. And just think of the boost being a cheerleader will give her social life! Will she cheer a particular sport or do the same cheerleaders do all of them?

Regarding yours, dear Mrs. JumpinD'ris,
Of Friday 31st,
Although your baby
May be,
Keen on a cheers career,
How can I make it clear,
That this in not a good idea.
For her to hope,
Dear Mrs. JumpinD'ris,
Is on the face of it absurd,
Her personality
Is not in reality
Conforming enough,
And dull enough
For this particular sphere

Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs. JumpinD'ris,
Don't put your daughter on the stage,
The profession is overcrowded
And the struggle's pretty tough
And admitting the fact
She's burning to kick,
That isn't quite enough.
She has nice eyes, to give the lovely girl her due,
But don't you think her bust is too
Developed for her age?
I repeat
Mrs. JumpinD'ris,
Sweet
Mrs. JumpinD'ris,
Don't put your daughter on the cheers.

.

Not bad!

Been drinkin'?

What would you do if it was your penultimate day back in London and you are waiting for an electrician who was due nearly 3 hours ago and doesn't answer his cell phone?

Seriously, how can 5 weeks pass so quickly...

The first thing I would do is look up the word "penultimate". And then I would go for a long walk, just seeing and breathing and listening so that when I got back to the states I could close my eyes and see the sights and smell the smells and hear the sounds and be back there again, if only for a few minutes.