Include or add a cost item – Cost Control

Include or add a cost itemCost ControlYou know that a cost item always counts in full towards its own account, and that only its paid amount decides whether it counts as Expected or Paid.A cost item has no switch for counting inside its account or on top of it. Every cost item you book counts in full towards **Expected** or **Paid** of its own account.What decides Expected or PaidAs long as a cost item has no paid amount, it counts towards **Expected**. Once it has a paid amount, it counts towards **Paid**. For the other columns, see [read the six money columns](/kb/article/read-the-six-money-columns). For what a cost item records, see [what a cost item is](/kb/article/what-a-cost-item-is).Booking a cost that was not in the budgetBook a cost that was not in the budget on the account it belongs to. **Forecast** never shows less than the sum of the account's cost items. If the cost items add up to more than the forecast you planned, **Forecast** rises to their sum. **Variance** then shows the gap between **Budget** and **Forecast**. For the steps, see [add a cost item by hand](/kb/article/add-a-cost-item-by-hand).Markdown