discretionary spending
Non-essential budget allocation
Discretionary spending is money available to spend as one chooses, after fixed obligations like rent, utilities, and debt payments are covered.
In personal finance, it's the portion of a budget for wants rather than needs: We cut back on discretionary spending after the layoff.
In government contexts, it refers to expenditures that legislators can adjust annually—unlike mandatory spending on programs like Social Security, which runs on autopilot.
Agreeable diversion of attention
- vacationLeisure time away
- shoppingAcquiring goods at retailers
- hobbiesLeisure activities for pleasure
- gadgetsSmall mechanical contrivances
dining out · luxuries · apparel · subscriptions · electronics · gifts · leisure · recreation
Designated funds for purposes
- defenseProtection against harm
- educationSystematic development of mind
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
subsidies · grants · foreign aid · public health · arts funding · environmental protection · space exploration · housing programs
entertainment
Agreeable diversion of attention
dining out · gadgets · luxuries · apparel · subscriptions · electronics · gifts · leisure · recreation · home decor
appropriations
Designated funds for purposes
- defenseProtection against harm
- educationSystematic development of mind
- infrastructureBasic physical systems
research · subsidies · grants · foreign aid · public health · arts funding · environmental protection · space exploration · housing programs · veterans benefits
- budgetsbudget, budgets, annual budget, capital budget, cash budget
- spending habitsfrugality, impulse buying, frugal living, thriftiness, thrift
- federal budgetfederal budget, appropriations, deficit, national budget, surplus
- fiscal policybudget deficit, national budget, budget surplus, budget deficits, federal budget
- government spendingfederal budget, expenditures, allocations, federal aid, state aid
- public budgetbudget bill, budget deficit, budget surplus, budget vote, budget debate
discretionary spendingmandatory spending
Expenditures required by law
entitlements · debt service · interest payments · Social Security · Medicare
spending, discreet, discretion, spends, expenditure, indiscreet, spender, discretionary, unspent