Budgets and Legitimate Expenses

Legitimate expenses in budgets depend on two things, whether they are DIY budgets based on our no-good salaries or wages, or we pay accountants to prepare them.

Accountants are folks that handle other people’s money because it is too much.  Thinking about it gives them migraines.  Richard Branson used to lounge on his private island and enjoy nature, before the September 2017 Hurricane Irma that ravaged the Caribbean, gave him sleepless nights.

Poor people have more legitimate expenses than the rich: rent or mortgage, sending kids to college, health insurance, food, and transport.  Transport in particular becomes a headache, when the family car says enough is enough and breaks down.

Millionaires have accountants that include illegitimate expenses in the budget to hide a few dollars from the taxman.  Maybe we should say billionaires.  Millionaires are yesterday’s news.

Billionaires do lunch and charge it to their expense accounts.  Poor people use credit cards to buy milk and rice because their budgets did not factor in rising food prices.  Food as a legitimate expense therefore depends on who is talking.

By:  Nonqaba waka Msimang.