Does money cost you more than you spend?
A project you put off. An expense that brings reassurance, then worry. A conversation you avoid with someone close to you. Our accounts do not tell the whole story of how we experience money.
In The Price of Peace of Mind, Julian Delmare explores the links between money, emotions, and human relationships. This illustrated narrative essay brings together behavioral psychology, social dynamics, and financial concepts. It sheds light on what influences our decisions: inherited habits, how others see us, and the need for security. It invites you to clarify your priorities so you can consider choices that fit your means.
As the stories unfold, the fear of not having enough comes into sharper focus: it can signal a financial difficulty, bear the imprint of past experiences, or accompany uncertainty. These situations invite us to take a fresh look at a budget, its irregular expenses and payment deadlines. They help distinguish the reserve to be protected from the funds available for a project.
Numerical examples shed light on the financial conditions of a work-related project, the cost of borrowing, and the risks involved in making a commitment. The safeguards under consideration are examined along with their limitations.
Our choices also involve our time, our relationships, and the possibilities we forgo. A conversation between partners, support for someone close to us, or a boundary that is difficult to set becomes an opportunity to better understand each person's needs.
This exploration leads to a familiar tension: preparing for tomorrow without endlessly putting life on hold. Making room for a project, recognizing the value of an expense, adjusting a decision when doubt returns: these are all ways of examining what security should make possible.
Twelve chapters and thirteen paintings make up the book. The situations put a human face on the numbers and trade-offs. The paintings offer moments to pause. The references allow readers to take their reflection further.
First volume in the WHAT GUIDES US series.
Find your bearings so that money leaves room for life, too.
