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Budgeting & Forecasting › Flexible Budgets

What is the difference between a flexible budget and a rolling budget?

Beginner

Answer

A flexible budget adjusts costs to the actual activity level for a given period (a control tool for a fixed timeframe). A rolling budget extends the budget period by continuously adding new periods (a planning-horizon tool). They address different problems—flexing for volume, rolling for time—and can be used together.
Real-world example The team flexes each month's budget to actual output and also rolls the 12-month horizon forward.

Common follow-ups: What does each adjust for? | Can they be used together?