dla-docs

Recurring Expenses

1. Purpose

The Recurring Expenses module helps you manage periodic expenses with fixed cycles such as:

• Electricity, water, gas bills
• Internet, cable TV
• Insurance
• Tuition
• Rent
• Other recurring expenses

This module automatically creates occurrences based on the cycle you configure, and reminds you when payment is due.

2. When to Use

Use this module when you have:

• Fixed expenses on a schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly)
• Need to track and confirm when payment is made
• Want automatic calculation into monthly budget

3. Related Screens

• Recurring expenses list
• Add new recurring expense
• Edit recurring expense
• Occurrence history

4. Main Usage

4.1 Add New Recurring Expense

1. Go to Functions → Select Recurring Expenses
2. Tap the + (FAB) button at the bottom right
3. Fill in the information:
   • Category: Select or create a new category
   • Amount: Enter expense amount (can be left blank, enter when confirming)
   • Cycle: Select Weekly / Bi-weekly / Monthly
   • Date: Select date in the cycle (e.g., 15th of each month)
   • Start Date: (Only for bi-weekly cycle) Select start date
   • Note: Additional information (optional)
4. Tap Save

4.2 Confirm Payment Made

1. Go to the recurring expenses list
2. Find item with “Pending Confirmation” badge (yellow)
3. Tap on the item to open confirmation dialog
4. Fill in:
   • Actual Amount: (if different from expected)
   • Note: (optional)
5. Tap Confirm

4.3 Edit Recurring Expense

1. Go to the recurring expenses list
2. Tap on the item to edit
3. Select Edit from menu
4. Update information
5. Tap Save

4.4 View History

1. Go to the recurring expenses list
2. Tap on an item
3. Select History to view all past occurrences

4.5 Deactivate/Activate Expense

1. Go to the recurring expenses list
2. Find the item to deactivate/activate
3. Toggle the Active switch on the right side of the item

5. Examples & UI Illustrations

5.1 Example 1: Create Monthly Recurring Expense (Electricity Bill)

Scenario: You want to track monthly electricity bill so the app automatically reminds you when payment is due.

Steps:

1. Go to Functions screen, select “Recurring Expenses”
2. Tap the “➕ Add New” button at the bottom right
3. Select category “Utilities” (or create new if not available)
4. Enter amount: $20
5. Select cycle “Monthly”
6. Select “Select day of month”, enter 15
7. Note auto-filled “Monthly electricity bill” (can be edited)
8. Tap “Save”

Result: App displays success message and returns to list. New item appears with full information, and app will automatically remind you on the 15th of each month.

Add Recurring Expense Screen:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ← Back    Add Recurring Expense        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Category *                              │
│  [Utilities ▼] [+ Add New]             │
│                                         │
│  Amount (USD) *                          │
│  [$20]                                  │
│                                         │
│  Cycle *                                 │
│  ┌──────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌────────┐        │
│  │Week  │ │Bi-week │ │Month  │        │
│  └──────┘ └────────┘ └────────┘        │
│                                         │
│  Payment Date in Cycle                  │
│  ⚪ End of month                         │
│  ⚫ Select day of month                  │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │ Day of month: [15]                │ │
│  └───────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                         │
│  Note                                    │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │ Monthly electricity bill           │ │
│  └───────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                         │
│  [Cancel]                  [Save]       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

5.2 Example 2: Confirm Due Expense and Update Actual Amount

Scenario: It’s water bill payment day (10th), but the actual amount to pay is $7 (decreased) instead of $8 as set.

Steps:

1. Open app or go to “Recurring Expenses” screen
2. App automatically detects due occurrence and shows confirmation dialog
3. Dialog displays default amount: $8
4. Update actual amount to $7
5. Enter note: “This month saved water” (optional)
6. Tap “Confirm Paid”

Result: App updates the confirmed occurrence with actual amount $7, automatically creates next occurrence, and updates current financial balance (subtract $7).

Confirm Expense Dialog:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Confirm Paid                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Water Bill                              │
│  Monthly (10th)                         │
│  Due Date: Today                        │
│                                         │
│  Actual Amount *                         │
│  [$7]                                   │
│                                         │
│  Note                                    │
│  [This month saved water]               │
│                                         │
│  [Cancel This]    [Confirm Paid]        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

5.3 Example 3: Deactivate Recurring Expense When No Longer Applicable

Scenario: You temporarily don’t rent a place for 2 months, so you want to deactivate the “Rent” expense instead of deleting it completely.

Steps:

1. Go to “Recurring Expenses” screen
2. Find “Rent” item in the list
3. Tap the “Active” switch on the right side of the item
4. App shows confirmation dialog: “Are you sure you want to deactivate this expense?”
5. Tap “Deactivate” button to confirm

Result: “Rent” card changes to “Inactive” status (gray), switch changes to “Inactive”. App no longer creates new occurrences for this expense. You can reactivate by tapping the switch “Inactive” → “Active”.

List Screen with Switch:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ← Back    Recurring Expenses           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │ Rent              [⚪ Inactive]   │ │
│  │ $1,200                            │ │
│  │ Monthly - 1st                     │ │
│  │ (Deactivated)                     │ │
│  │                                    │ │
│  │ [Edit] [History] [Delete]         │ │
│  └───────────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

6. Logic & Rules

6.1 Cycle and Date

• Weekly: Select day of week (1=Monday, 7=Sunday)
• Bi-weekly: Select day of week + specific start date
• Monthly: Select day of month (1-31)

6.2 Auto Create Occurrences

• App automatically creates occurrence when:
  • Adding new expense
  • Reaching date in cycle
  • New month begins

6.3 Occurrence Status

• PENDING: Pending confirmation (shows yellow badge)
• COMPLETED: Confirmed (shows green badge)
• CANCELLED: Cancelled (shows red badge)

6.4 Budget Integration

• When confirming expense, app automatically updates current month’s budget (if exists)
• Expense is calculated into “Recurring Expenses” in budget

6.5 Notifications

• App sends reminder notification when payment is due
• Notification time can be configured for each item (notificationTime1, notificationTime2, default 16:00 and 19:00)

7. Important Notes

• Amount can be left blank: If you don’t know the exact amount, you can leave it blank and enter when confirming
• Cannot delete when occurrence exists: If there are occurrences, you can only deactivate (isActive = false), cannot delete
• Late confirmation: You can confirm past occurrences, app will automatically recalculate budget
• Change cycle: When editing cycle, future occurrences will be recalculated