➤ Difference between expendable and non-expendable goods

In the civil codes from each country there are some specific regulations where they are described expendable and non-expendable property, starting from this distinction to define others as consumable or non-consumable.

What does a fungible and non-fungible good mean?

To determine the main difference between expendable and non-expendable goods, it is important to know the meaning of both.

Expendables they refer to things that deteriorate, wear out, or are destroyed once they are used. In Spain, this definition is governed by article 337 established in the Civil Code, where it is described as those goods which cannot be used in their nature adequately without preventing them from being consumed.

These expendable goodsThey are determined according to weight, measure, or gender, being possible to substitute them for others.

On the contrary, non-expendable goods are those that do not admit any type of substitution, being something unique and original, such as a work of art. That is, they have individuality, being distinguished from the others that make up their class.

This is the most marked difference, that is, if compensation for the destruction of a thing is possible.

Where in non-expendable goods it will not be possible because there is no possibility of substitution, while in expendable goods it will be possible to exercise a restitution of the same.

As a general rule, consumable goods are also considered expendable, however many are not consumable.

Fungibility and infungibility of things

When it comes to the infungibility and fungibility of things, one speaks of something relative and not absolute. This means that although it is true that many things are classified in commerce, in certain cases a fungible thing can be considered as non-fungible, and vice versa.

In case of expendable goods, special reference is made to money. The civil Code, does not classify this directly as a well expendable, but it derives this characteristic from many different aspects.

Even when it comes to currencies from different countries, money as a fungible it must be preached. This conversion is a change only, without altering its fungibility.

In the case of money, it shows another special characteristic in addition to be fungible, which makes the difference with respect to the rest of the things that fall into this category, and is that it has the characteristic of liquidity, where represents the accounting of all assets.

Relationship with consumable and non-consumable goods

Consumable and non-consumable goods show a relationship with things fungible and non-fungiblehowever, they should not be confused with these.

Consumables refer to the direct utility that things have when being used, in the case of money for example.

And non-consumables are those whose direct utility is given without the need to be consumed or used in the first place, as is the case of a house, a carriage, a horse, etc... In this way, the direct relationship that these can have is shown with fungibility and infungibility.