A Calendar Method of Collecting Remittance Use Data in a Remittance Dependent Economy

Prem B. Bhandari, University of Michigan
Indra Chaudhary, Institute for Social and Environmental Research, Nepal

Migration and development literature has much discussed about the productive vs. consumptive uses of remittances by households and its impacts on individual outcomes such as health and education. Much of this study has used cross-sectional data that is prone to re-call bias. This paper describes a new method – a Calendar Method - of collecting remittance use data from a remittance dependent setting of Nepal. A remittance use calendar is designed to measure the use of remittances by households and measures where and how much remittance money is spent in various dimensions of household activities on a monthly basis. First, we present the calendar method of collecting longitudinal data on remittances. Then, we provide evidence of household response to the uses of remittances in specific socio-cultural and economic dimensions of household activities. The application of this method and the implications of the insights gained from this study are discussed.