Expense Meaning
Expense Definition & Usage
The amount of money spent on something, typically for a particular purpose or event.
Examples
- "The company cut down on travel expenses this year."
- "Her medical expenses were much higher than expected."
- "I need to track all my monthly expenses to avoid overspending."
- "The wedding expenses quickly added up to more than we had budgeted."
- "They reported a significant increase in operating expenses last quarter."
A cost or outlay of funds incurred by an organization, often related to operations or services provided.
Examples
- "Operating expenses include salaries, rent, and utilities."
- "In the second quarter, the company reported a rise in administrative expenses."
- "The marketing campaign's expenses were higher than anticipated."
- "Business expenses are deductible from taxable income under certain conditions."
- "The expense report needs to be submitted by the end of the week."
To spend or use money for a particular purpose.
Examples
- "They expensed the cost of the flight on their company account."
- "He expensed the office supplies for the month."
- "She expensed the dinner for the client meeting."
- "The team expensed their travel costs for the conference."
- "You can expense your medical costs if you're self-employed."
Cultural Context
The concept of 'expense' is closely tied to financial management, accounting, and personal budgeting. It appears in both personal finance (e.g., household expenses) and business settings (e.g., operating expenses, capital expenses). Managing expenses efficiently is central to maintaining a balanced budget and profitability.
The Expense of Ambition
Story
The Expense of Ambition
Lena had always dreamed of running her own business. After years of saving and planning, she finally opened a small café in the heart of the city. But within weeks, she realized that turning her dream into reality was more expensive than she'd imagined. The first shock came with the rent. It was more than half of her monthly expenses. Then, there were the utility bills, which she hadn't fully accounted for in her budget. 'I should've researched the cost of electricity more thoroughly,' she muttered, staring at the rising bills. Lena spent countless hours tracking every expense. She had spreadsheets filled with data, noting the cost of ingredients, staff salaries, marketing, and even the coffee machine's maintenance. Each week, she expensed the necessary purchases—coffee beans, fresh pastries, cleaning supplies. But no matter how much she expensed, her café seemed to be bleeding money. One day, as she sat with her accountant, John, he explained the complexities of operating expenses. 'You have to account for everything, from the rent to the smallest item like napkins. You can't just hope for profits to appear. You need to be vigilant about your expenses if you want to stay afloat.' As the months passed, Lena learned how to control her expenses better. She found cheaper suppliers for some ingredients and negotiated a lower rent with her landlord. She also started expensing more of her marketing efforts, recognizing how important it was to maintain visibility in the competitive food industry. Her café slowly started to break even, and then, finally, she turned a small profit. In the end, Lena realized that ambition had its price. But if you managed your expenses wisely, the rewards were worth the effort.
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