- Depreciation and amortization are the processes of gradually deducting the cost of tangible and intangible assets over the course of their useful lives.
- Salaries are fixed remuneration rates paid to employees regardless of how many hours they work.
- As long as the loan arrangement specifies a set rate of interest, interest expense is the cost of borrowing.
- Utilities are the costs of power, gas, phone service, garbage collection, and sewer service, among other things. When production rises, some utilities, such as electricity, may rise as well. Utilities, on the other hand, are typically thought of as fixed costs because the corporation must pay a set amount regardless of output.
Is it possible that utilities will be a changeable cost?
Variable expenses can be thought of as the sum total of your everyday spending decisions. Do you prefer organic or conventional produce? Do you go to Starbucks or make your own coffee? However, not all variable expenses are optional. Because the amount you spend each month may change, variable expenses are classified as such.
Although variable expenditures are frequently optional, some may be required. Purchasing gas for your automobile on a monthly basis, as well as car repairs and maintenance, is a variable expense. Shopping for groceries is also a variable cost. Because utility expenditures fluctuate from month to month, they may be considered variable expenses. For example, because of air conditioning, you may spend more on power in July than you do in December.
Because they can alter your lifestyle, variable expenses may be more difficult to reduce than fixed ones. It’s possible that you’ll have to pick between cooking and ordering takeout. Perhaps you must choose between buying new clothes and attending a new film. Cutting back on variable expenses takes more determination than cutting back on fixed spending on a daily basis.
Is the cost of household utilities variable or fixed?
Fixed expenses include mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, and loan payments, and are defined as “any expense that does not change from period to period.” The quantities may vary significantly, as is the case with utilities, but you always know when they are due. Here’s a list of fixed expense categories to consider:
Are the costs of water bills fixed?
When utility revenues remain flat or decline, managers may believe that the solution is to increase fixed charges, because water service expenses are essentially fixed expenditures that remain constant year after year regardless of amount produced.
Is the cost of a water bill variable?
To effectively establish a budget, you must first determine your fixed and variable spending. While keeping track of mandatory expenses is simple and uncomplicated, integrating discretionary expenses in your budget can be difficult. Here’s what you need to know about fixed versus variable expenses if you want to create and maintain an effective budget that accounts for your necessary and discretionary costs while reducing wasteful spending.
Fixed expenses are monthly bills that are continuous and predictable, such as a mortgage or rent, a cellphone bill, or a student loan payment. Along with your monthly electric and water costs, car insurance, house insurance, and life insurance are all set expenses. Additional fixed expenditures include a digital newspaper subscription and monthly cable or streaming services.
While certain bills remain the same month after month, you can save money by shopping around for the cheapest rates. You may, for example, switch to a cheaper phone plan or refinance your house or automobile. You can save money by ditching cable and replacing it with a streaming subscription. To cut your fixed costs, you might switch to a less expensive vehicle or health insurance plan, or choose a different homeowners or renters insurance plan.
Gas, clothing, entertainment, pet supplies, and dining out at restaurants are examples of unfixed, discretionary costs. Unless you’ve arranged for even billing, where the payment doesn’t change from month to month, your electric bill is also a variable expense. Some variable costs are clear-cut wants, while others are unavoidable. If you have children or pets, for example, unexpected but necessary charges could include doctor, dentist, and veterinarian appointments, as well as copays, prescriptions, and preventative medicines and vaccines. Birthday and Christmas gifts, as well as trips, are all variable expenses.
To determine discretionary expenditures, you must first assess your financial situation and account for any foreseeable costs based on your previous spending patterns.
“According to Ahna Holloran, a personal finance coach with Fika Finance, a money coaching business in Los Angeles, “the goal has to be to reduce variable expenses into expected and predictable expenses.” “Take a look at your expenses from the previous year. You can accomplish this by examining your bank or credit card statements, or by using a budgeting application you’ve used in the past,” she explains.
After you’ve gathered the information, “guess how much you spent on these variable categories throughout the course of the year. Then divide that amount by 12 to get the answer. “This is how much money you’ll need to set aside each month to pay for that bill or expense when it comes due,” Holloran explains. Then, she suggests, set up a separate savings account for each variable item.
“When you get paid each month, put the monthly amount into each category. This converts the variable expense into a recurrent expense that you can budget for each month, according to Holloran.
You’ll need to change your money routines and spending habits to reduce your variable costs. For example, Patti Black, a certified financial planner and partner with Bridgeworth, LLC, a registered investment advisory in Birmingham, Alabama, advises against storing credit cards on online shopping sites to avoid thoughtless spending on discretionary expenses such as apparel. “Each time you make a purchase, manually input your credit card information so you have a reason to pause and consider whether you actually want or need it,” Black advises.
She also mentions that the company you keep could be driving up your spending. “You’re more likely to spend more than you expected if you hang out with people who shop at Nordstrom and Whole Foods while your budget calls for ThredUp and Aldi,” she says. The bottom line: If you’re aware of how your social circle influences your spending habits, you might be able to budget more effectively.
To keep your variable expenditures from ballooning out of control, Beverly Miller, a personal financial consultant in Pittsburgh, recommends putting money aside in case your variable costs are larger than expected. “Your emergency fund is there to cover truly unexpected and required bills, according to Miller. Most experts recommend keeping three to six months’ worth of living costs in the bank.
It’s also crucial to keep track of your fixed and variable costs. Miller advises that you look at your calendar every month and plan ahead. After all, it’s possible that your health insurance may increase this month, or that your child, spouse, or best friend will celebrate a birthday.
“There is no such thing as a static budget that works the same way month after month and never changes,” Miller explains. ” Effective budgeting is just planning how you will spend your money in the coming month. And, because life changes month to month, your budget must change as well.”
What do you mean by variable expenses?
Fixed expenses are the polar opposite of variable expenses. A recurring variable expense is one that occurs from month to month. However, the amount you pay each month may fluctuate from past payments or payments you’ll make in the future.
Budgeting for variable expenses is more difficult because you may not be able to predict how much they’ll add up to month to month. If you don’t keep track of your variable expenses on a regular basis, it’s easy to underestimate or overestimate how much of your budget you should set aside for them. However, you may simply do this with a budgeting tool, which can reduce the chances of variable expenses deviating from your spending plan.
Essential and discretionary spending are both examples of variable expenses. For example, if you become ill, a doctor’s visit may be a need that you must pay for. A discretionary item, on the other hand, is anything you budget for or spend money on that you don’t really need. To put it another way, they are the “wants” in your budget.
Examples of Variable Expenses
What goes into a budget under variable expenses varies from person to person. However, the following are some of the most typical variable charges you may incur:
Some variable charges aren’t guaranteed to happen again. Two to three times a year, for example, you might take vacations or trips. Although the amount you spend varies from time to time, you are not paying for those charges on a monthly basis. Instead, use sinking fundsmoney set aside for this purposeto budget for these types of variable expenses.
What do you mean by variable expenses?
Variable costs, often known as variable expenses, are costs that fluctuate over time. These charges vary based on how you use products or services, and they can fluctuate based on a variety of circumstances. Increased use of your car, for example, results in a rise in your variable expenses for gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Similarly, if you have guests staying for an extended period of time, your variable food expense may rise.
Is the cost of power a variable expense?
A corporation that manufactures mobile phones, for example, may have many production machines. Electricity is required for the factory machinery to operate. Electricity is an indirect cost since it cannot be traced back to a specific product or machine. The cost of power, on the other hand, is a variable cost because electricity demand rises in tandem with the amount of things produced or made.
What do you mean by utility bills?
Your utility bills reflect the most fundamental costs of owning and operating a home. Gas, electricity, and water are all included.
All of them are items that you simply cannot live without. From your lights to your TV, computer, WiFi connection, and any security system you may have in placesuch as a burglar alarmnearly everything in your home is powered by electricity. Gas heats your water and living areas, as well as powering your oven, guaranteeing that you can prepare your meals!
Utility bills are needed to keep track of how much of these essential services we use and how much we owe to our suppliers.
Utility bill meaning
Any utility bill’s aim is to collect money for the gas, electricity, and water you use.
Your utility bill details how much gas, electricity, and water you used during a specific time period and how much it cost you. It should show how many units you’ve used and how much each unit costs. It will also show you the overall cost of the services you’ve used.
Most utility rates are set for a set length of time, so you should have a good idea of what to expect from your statement.
Utility costs, such as gas and electricity, should be paid in regular monthly installments. Any underpayment or overpayment will be resolved with the supplier at the end of your contract.
Facts about utility bills
- Water bills are typically charged quarterly, so you should expect four bills per year.
- Although many organizations are now migrating to email-based invoices, paper utility bills are still issued to your address.
- Going paperless with your billing can result in discounts ranging from 5 to 10 off your bill.
- Each bill will list the acceptable payment methods as determined by your supplier.
What is the difference between utility, electricity, energy and gas bills?
Utility bills are a broad phrase that encompasses your usage and prices for power, gas, and water.
It can also include invoices for vital services such as sewer services provided by the council. Utility costs do not include optional services like cable television or cell phones.
Frequently, the terms utility, electricity, energy, and gas are used interchangeably. A utility bill, often known as an energy bill, typically includes electricity, gas, and, in some cases, water. A telephone bill is not considered a utility bill.
What other household bills do I need to worry about?
Other expenditures involved with maintaining a household may exist in addition to electricity, gas, and water bills. These could include the following:
These bills do not fall under the category of utility bills. Other common household expenses, such as groceries, are not included.
How do utility bills impact my credit score?
Because utilities companies frequently share payment history with credit companies, how you pay your utility bills has an impact on your credit score (or “credit rating”).
What does this mean?
If you have a good track record of paying your payments on time, you will find it easier to get a loan or a contract (for example a mobile phone contract). If you miss a payment, it may indicate that you are more likely to default on a loan. That implies lenders may refuse to give you money or charge you a higher interest rate.
The last twelve months of credit history is usually the most crucial. Wait until you’ve built up a stronger credit record if you’ve missed payments in the last twelve months. Lenders are sometimes willing to overlook prior flaws. If your current payments are on time, this should happen.
Setting up direct debits with your bank can help you avoid late payments. You might also use your calendar to establish a recurring reminder. Regular payments will ensure lenders that you are a reliable borrower.
Are utility costs direct or indirect?
Indirect costs include those associated with sustaining and running a business in addition to those associated with creating a product. These are the costs that remain after direct costs have been calculated.
Indirect costs include the materials and resources required for a company’s day-to-day operations. These elements contribute to the overall success of the organization, although they are not assigned to the provision of any specific service.
Supplies, utilities, office equipment rental, desktop computers, and cell phones are examples of indirect costs. Indirect costs, like direct expenses, can be constant or variable. Rent is an example of a fixed indirect expense. The fluctuating costs of energy and gas are examples of variable costs.