Recurring Expenses Documentation

How to read this document

Sections move from purpose → concepts → calculation process → worked examples → edge cases. Formula boxes use plain mathematical notation for clarity; they are conceptual summaries, not API contracts.

• Point lists call out operator-visible behaviour.
• Callouts mark warnings, limitations, or important qualifications.
• Worked examples use round numbers so you can reproduce the arithmetic by hand.

Purpose

A recurring expense is a template plus a schedule. When an occurrence falls due, AccountHouse creates the actual expense row in the household ledger — you do not re-type the rent every month. Patterns you want eyes on can instead ask for approval before each occurrence posts.

• Templates carry the full expense shape: amount, category, card, notes
• Occurrences post automatically on their scheduled date, or after your approval
• Generated rows are ordinary ledger expenses — editable and deletable like any other
• Managing recurring patterns requires the recurring-management permission (household admins by default)

Schedules

Cadence options cover the common household shapes: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and custom days of the week (for example, every Tuesday and Friday).

• Each pattern has a next-run date derived from its cadence.
• Patterns can be edited, paused, resumed, or stopped at any time.
• You can change just the amount without touching the rest of the template.
• The Calendar shows upcoming occurrences alongside payables and reminders.

How occurrences become expenses

On its scheduled date, an occurrence creates a real expense row using the template's fields. The row lands in the ledger, counts against budgets, and appears in analytics like any manually entered expense.

• Generated rows are attributed and categorised from the template.
• Budgets see the spend on the day the occurrence posts.
• Deleting a pattern stops future generation; already-posted rows remain in the ledger.

Approval mode

Switch a pattern to approval mode and each occurrence asks before posting instead of assuming. Three answers cover real life:

• Approve — the expense posts on its scheduled date.
• Decline — the prompt hides for 24 hours, then asks again. Decline means 'ask me later', not 'delete'.
• Skip this month — the prompt stops until the next calendar month.
• Pay now — covers 'I skipped this month but ended up paying it anyway'; posts the expense immediately.

Recurring versus payables and reminders

• Recurring expenses generate ledger rows on a schedule.
• Payables track obligations with due dates, reminders, and an execution history — executing a payable is what creates its expense.
• Calendar reminders are notes with notifications; a reminder never creates an expense by itself.
• Use payables for bills you confirm, recurring for spending that should book itself.

Privacy, advice limits, and what we do not publish

AccountHouse is a household tracking and organisation tool. It is not a bank, payment processor, tax advisor, or investment advisor. Forecasts, health scores, balances, and alerts are informational.

• Household data is scoped to your household; other families cannot see your ledger.
• Public documentation explains product behaviour and calculation concepts, not proprietary internals.
• Exact scoring weights, anomaly thresholds, cryptography parameters beyond high-level algorithms, and operational detection rules are reserved.
• Approval decisions (approve, decline, skip) are recorded per occurrence for the household's own history.