<PAGE>

                                                                      EXHIBIT 31

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, William F. Aldinger, Chief Executive Officer of Household Finance
Corporation, certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Household Finance
    Corporation;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
    statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
    make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
    statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
    this annual report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
    information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
    respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
    the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
    establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
    in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we
    have:

          a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
               disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
               supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
               registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
               known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
               the period in which this annual report is being prepared;

          b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
               controls and procedures and presented in this annual report our
               conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
               and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
               report based on such evaluation; and

          c)   disclosed in this annual report any change in the registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
               the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
               affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
               registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and


5.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
    our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
    committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the
    equivalent functions):

          a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
               design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting
               which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
               ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
               information; and

          b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting.


Date: February 27, 2004

                                               /s/ WILLIAM F. ALDINGER
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               William F. Aldinger
                                               Chief Executive Officer



<PAGE>

                                                                      EXHIBIT 31

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

I, Simon C. Penney, Chief Financial Officer of Household Finance Corporation,
certify that:

1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Household Finance
    Corporation;

2.  Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
    statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
    make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
    statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
    this annual report;

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
    information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
    respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
    the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
    establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
    in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we
    have:

          a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
               disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
               supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
               registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
               known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
               the period in which this annual report is being prepared;

          b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
               controls and procedures and presented in this annual report our
               conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
               and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
               report based on such evaluation; and

          c)   disclosed in this annual report any change in the registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
               the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
               affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
               registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.  The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
    most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee
    of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
    functions):

          a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
               design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting
               which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
               ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
               information; and

          b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting.


Date: February 27, 2004

                                               /s/ SIMON C. PENNEY
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Simon C. Penney
                                               Chief Financial Officer