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                                                                   EXHIBIT 5 and
                                                                   EXHIBIT 23(b)





November 23, 1994

Board of Directors
Household International, Inc.
2700 Sanders Road
Prospect Heights, Illinois  60070

Re:  Household International, Inc. and Household 
     International Netherlands B.V. Registration 
     Statement on Form S-3, for the Senior Notes and 
     Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes and unconditional 
     guarantees as to repayment of up to $400 million of 
     Senior Notes

Gentlemen:

As Assistant General Counsel and Secretary of Household International, Inc., a
Delaware corporation ("Household"), I am generally familiar with the
proceedings in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 in which
Senior Notes and Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes of up to $400,000,000
aggregate principal amount (the "Senior Notes") of Household International
Netherlands B.V. ("HINBV"), a subsidiary of Household, and unconditional
guarantees (the "Guarantees") of Household are being registered.  The Senior
Notes and Guarantees will be issuable under an Indenture dated as of September
9, 1993, among Household, HINBV and The First National Bank of Boston, as
Trustee (the "Bank of Boston Indenture"), or an Indenture dated as of
September 9, 1993, among Household, HINBV and BankAmerica National Trust
Company, as Trustee (the "BankAmerica Indenture").  The foregoing indentures,
or forms thereof, have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") as exhibits to the Registration Statement.

Based upon my review of the records and documents of Household, I am of the
opinion that:
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Household International, Inc.
November 23, 1994
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  1. Household is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under
     the laws of the State of Delaware.

  2. HINBV is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under the
     laws of the Netherlands.

  3. The Bank of Boston and BankAmerica Indentures have been duly
     authorized, executed and delivered by Household and HINBV, and
     constitute valid and legally binding instruments of Household and HINBV,
     enforceable in accordance with their terms against each respective
     corporation, except as enforcement of the provisions thereof may be
     limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws relating
     to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general
     principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is
     considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

  4. When the issuance of Senior Notes and Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes
     has been duly authorized by the appropriate corporate action of HINBV, and
     such Senior Notes and Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes have been duly
     executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment of the
     agreed consideration therefor in accordance with the appropriate Indenture
     or Warrant Agreement and as described in the Registration Statement,
     including the Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement relating to such
     Senior Notes and Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes, the Senior Notes,
     Warrants to Purchase Senior Notes and Guarantees will each be legally and
     validly issued and will be the legal and binding obligations of HINBV and
     Household, respectively, enforceable in accordance with their terms,
     except as enforcement of the provisions thereof may be limited by
     bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws relating to or
     affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights or by general principles of
     equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a
     proceeding in equity or at law).
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Household International, Inc.
November 23, 1994
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I hereby consent to the use of my name and my opinion in the Prospectus,
Preliminary Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424
or 430A of Regulation C of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Act"), in
connection with the above referenced Registration Statement filed with the
Commission on or about November 23, 1994, including any references to my
opinions set forth in the documents incorporated by reference therein, and to
the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to said Registration Statement.  In
giving such consent I do not admit that I am in the category of persons whose
consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of
the Commission thereunder.





John W. Blenke

JWB:jh