Expense Tracking Workflow — Track Project Costs Beyond Time
See how Refront tracks project expenses like software licenses, hosting, and contractor costs alongside time entries for complete project cost visibility.
Introduction
Time is only part of the cost equation. Software licenses, cloud hosting, stock photography, contractor fees, and domain registrations all eat into project margins. Refront lets you log expenses alongside time entries so every project has a complete cost picture — not just the hours.
Real-World Examples
Expense Logging with Receipt Capture
A developer purchases a premium Figma plugin (€49) for a client project. They open Refront, log the expense against the project, upload a photo of the receipt, and tag it as "billable." The expense appears on the project's cost dashboard immediately and is automatically added to the next client invoice.
Why this works:
Capturing expenses at the point of purchase prevents forgotten reimbursements. The billable tag ensures the cost is passed through to the client, protecting margins.
Recurring Expense Auto-Tracking
An agency pays €200/month for AWS hosting across multiple client projects. Refront allocates the cost proportionally based on each project's resource usage. Project A uses 60% of the infrastructure, so €120 is automatically assigned to its cost ledger each month.
Why this works:
Shared infrastructure costs are often ignored in project accounting. Proportional allocation ensures each project's profitability reflects its true cost, including shared resources.
Contractor Cost Integration
A design agency subcontracts illustration work to a freelancer at €80/hr. The freelancer logs their hours in Refront (or submits a timesheet), and the cost is automatically tracked against the project. When invoicing the client, the agency applies their 30% markup on contractor hours alongside internal time.
Why this works:
Contractor costs flowing through the same system as internal time creates a unified cost view. The automated markup calculation ensures consistent pricing without manual spreadsheet gymnastics.
Key Takeaways
- Point-of-purchase expense logging prevents forgotten reimbursements.
- Recurring shared costs are automatically allocated across projects.
- Contractor costs integrate seamlessly with internal time tracking.
- Complete cost visibility enables accurate profitability analysis.
How Refront Can Help
Refront tracks every project cost — not just time. Log expenses, allocate shared costs, and integrate contractor fees in one system. Get a true picture of what each project costs and ensure every billable expense reaches your invoices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I categorise expenses?
Yes. Refront supports custom expense categories (hosting, licenses, travel, subcontracting, etc.) with reporting filters. You can create your own categories to match your accounting structure.
Do expenses appear on client invoices?
Only if tagged as "billable." Billable expenses are automatically added to client invoices with optional markup. Non-billable expenses are tracked internally for cost analysis only.
Can contractors submit expenses themselves?
Yes. External collaborators can be given limited access to log time and expenses against their assigned projects. All submissions go through an approval workflow before they affect project costs.
Ready to get started?
Try Refront for free and discover how AI automates your workflow.