discretionary spending

Noun

discretionary spending (usually uncountable, plural discretionary spendings)

1. (usually) The amount or portion of a person's or group's expenditures which is used for non-essential or voluntary disbursements; the amount or portion of one's expenditures which one may make as one sees fit.
   • In this scenario discretionary spending is held to a constant share of GDP.2000, D. W. Elmendorf et al., “Social Security Reform and National Saving in an Era of Budget Surpluses”, in Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, volume 2000, number 2, page 48
2. (usually) The action of making such expenditures.
   • Nervous consumers and business executives put off discretionary spending.2001 October 29, Michael Elliott, “Don't Worry About Oil”, in Time
   • If only the Kindle 2 were cheaper! Despite its other shortcomings, Amazon's new and improved digital-book reading device does enough right that it could become the Model T of e-readers, capturing the imagination—and discretionary spending—of the masses.2009 March 30, Josh Quittner, “Kindle 2 Will Woo You”, in Time
3. (US, usually) US government expenditures which are subject to annual review and authorization by Congress, as distinct from expenditures authorized by existing laws.
   • Perot would cut federal discretionary spending by 15 percent, chopping items that range from the space station to the Rural Electrification Administration.1992, Bill Turque AND Ginny Carroll, "Ross Perot's New Tease," Newsweek, 31 Aug.