What is a planned expense?

A planned expense is a one-off cost you know is coming and have not paid yet — school fees next term, a flight in December, a repair you have been quoted for.

Nothing has left your account, so it does not touch your spending totals or your net worth. It exists so the cost is visible before it arrives rather than after.

A budget caps what you spend each month; a planned expense names a single future payment. When you finally pay it, you mark it as paid and it becomes an ordinary transaction.