Budget Variance
Budget variance is the difference between the amount budgeted for a category and the amount actually spent over the same period.
Variance analysis compares actual spend with the budget to reveal whether a category is running over or under, and by how much. A favourable variance means spending less than planned; an unfavourable one means overspending. Either way, the value lies in understanding the cause — volume changes, price movements, timing differences or forecasting errors — not just the headline number.
Reviewing variances regularly turns the budget into a live management tool rather than a start-of-year guess. Persistent overspend may signal off-contract buying, price creep or an unrealistic budget, while consistent underspend can point to delayed projects or padded estimates. Reliable spend data is what makes variance analysis trustworthy, so accurate coding and classification matter.
Frequently asked questions
- What is budget variance?
- Budget variance is the difference between what was budgeted for a category and what was actually spent over the same period, showing whether spending is over or under plan.
- What causes budget variance?
- Common causes include changes in volume, price movements, timing differences, off-contract buying and inaccurate forecasts — variance analysis aims to explain which factors are at play.
Related terms
Budget Control
Budget control is the process of monitoring and managing spending against an approved budget so that costs stay within planned limits.
Read definitionPurchase Price Variance (PPV)
Purchase price variance (PPV) is the difference between the price actually paid for an item and its expected or standard price.
Read definitionSpend Analysis
Spend analysis is the process of collecting, cleaning and categorising an organisation's purchasing data to understand what it buys, from whom and for how much.
Read definitionCost Centre
A cost centre is a department or unit within an organisation to which costs are allocated for budgeting and control, but which does not directly generate revenue.
Read definitionGo deeper
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