What's the difference between an office expense and an office supply?

Question

I get confused all the time with this. Would someone have a very easy way of explaining this?

Answer 1

An office supply is any item needed to carry out daily business, such as pens, pencils, tablets of paper, etc.

Office expenses are unexpected and unprediotable outlays such as paying someone to fix the copier.

Answer 2

Office supply is the thing you buy with your money. Office expense is the money you spend on the thing.

Answer 3

an expense is having to pay for something, a supply is what you paid for.