Expenses by Supplier Widget
The Expenses by Supplier widget breaks down your spending by the merchants and vendors you purchase from. It reveals which suppliers receive most of your money, helping you identify spending patterns and potential savings opportunities.
What Does It Show?
This widget aggregates all your expense transactions and groups them by supplier (merchant/vendor). For each supplier, it shows:
- Total amount spent - The sum of all transactions with that supplier
- Percentage of total expenses - How much of your overall spending goes to each supplier
- Transaction count - How many times you've purchased from each supplier
Why Track Expenses by Supplier?
Understanding where your money goes at the vendor level provides unique insights:
| Insight | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Identify top spending destinations | See which merchants receive the largest share of your budget |
| Spot subscription creep | Recognize recurring charges from specific vendors |
| Negotiate better deals | Armed with spending data, negotiate discounts with frequent suppliers |
| Find alternatives | Identify expensive suppliers where switching could save money |
| Track loyalty program value | Ensure your spending at loyalty program merchants is worthwhile |
Display Modes
The widget offers three visualization options:
Pie Chart View (Default on Desktop)
The pie chart provides an intuitive breakdown of your spending distribution. Each slice represents a supplier, sized proportionally to your spending. Hover over slices to see exact amounts and percentages. Best for visualizing relative proportions at a glance.
Bar Chart View (Default on Mobile)
The bar chart displays suppliers as horizontal bars, sorted by spending amount. This view excels at comparing spending levels across many suppliers and is the default on mobile devices for its readability on narrow screens. Each bar shows the amount and percentage.
Grid View
The grid view presents your supplier spending in a sortable table format:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Supplier | The merchant or vendor name |
| Amount | Total spent with this supplier |
| % | Percentage of total expenses |
This view is ideal when you want to scan through all suppliers or need precise figures.
Configuration Options
Click the filter icon in the widget header to customize your view.
Date Range
Control the time period for analysis:
- Predefined intervals - Current month, last month, last 3/6/12 months, current/last year, all time
- Custom range - Select specific start and end dates
Account Filter
Limit the analysis to specific accounts:
- All accounts (default) - Aggregate spending across all your accounts
- Selected accounts - Choose specific accounts to analyze (e.g., only credit cards)
Tag Filter
Filter by transaction tags to focus on specific spending categories:
- Analyze only business expenses
- Focus on a specific project
- Exclude certain transaction types
Display Mode
Choose your preferred visualization:
- Pie Chart - Best for seeing relative proportions
- Bar Chart - Best for comparing many suppliers
- Grid - Best for detailed data review
Number of Suppliers
Limit how many suppliers are shown (1-50). The widget always shows the top suppliers by spending amount. Reducing this number can help focus on major suppliers and reduce visual clutter.
Understanding Your Supplier Spending
Common Patterns
As you analyze your supplier data, you may notice:
- The 80/20 rule - Often, 80% of spending goes to about 20% of your suppliers
- Subscription dominance - Recurring service providers (streaming, utilities, insurance) often rank high
- Grocery concentration - Your primary grocery store typically appears near the top
- Seasonal variations - Some suppliers appear only during certain periods (holiday shopping, travel seasons)
Taking Action
Use supplier insights to:
- Consolidate spending - Fewer suppliers can mean better rewards and less tracking overhead
- Review recurring charges - Check if you're still using services from frequent suppliers
- Compare prices - Research if competing suppliers offer better rates
- Set supplier budgets - Create mental limits for specific high-spend suppliers
- Identify errors - Spot unexpected charges from unfamiliar suppliers
Filtering Tips
Focus on Discretionary Spending
Use the account filter to exclude accounts primarily used for fixed expenses (like utility direct debits) and focus on discretionary spending accounts.
Time Period Strategy
- Last 12 months - Best for a comprehensive view of all your suppliers
- Last 3 months - Good for identifying recent spending patterns
- Current month - Useful for real-time spending awareness
Customization
Personalize the widget to match your needs:
- Custom Title - Click the title to rename it (e.g., "Where My Money Goes" or "Top Merchants")
- Custom Icon - Click the icon to choose a different symbol
- Widget Size - In edit mode, drag edges to resize the widget on your dashboard
Related Features
- Expenses by Supplier Type - Group spending by business categories (supermarkets, restaurants, etc.)
- Expenses by Category Widget - Analyze spending by transaction categories instead of suppliers
- Monthly Cash Flow Widget - See overall income vs. expenses trends
- Recurring Transactions - Manage regular payments to specific suppliers
- Transaction Tags - Tag transactions for more granular supplier analysis
Part of the Dashboard Widgets guide series.