"Freedom doesn’t come from earning more and more, but from needing less and less to live well."

The word "budget" instantly triggers a feeling of restriction for many people. We think of deprivation, Excel spreadsheets, cutting out life quality, and a financial straitjacket that leaves us gasping for air.

When we browse online shops or stroll down shopping streets, we automatically look at the price tags. We see an amount: 49 euros, 199 euros, or perhaps 1,200 euros for the latest smartphone. Our brain instantly checks this value against our bank account: "Can I afford this?" If the answer is yes, the product goes into the shopping cart.

When setting sail on a journey at sea, no one simply hoists the sails blindly. Before turning the course into the compass, the helmsman asks one crucial question: Where exactly are we right now? Only those who know their precise starting point on the nautical chart can calculate the route to a safe harbor.