From Longman Business Dictionarydiscretionary spendingdisˌcretionary ˈspending1ECONOMICS spending by consumers on things that they want to buy rather than on things they need such as housing or foodJewelry companies, which depend on discretionary spending, are forecasting better times.2ACCOUNTING spending by a company or organization that can easily be increased or reduced, for example on advertising or developing new productsAlthough the company is limiting discretionary spending, it is maintaining major projects that other companies might have tried to cancel. → spending
