Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Making Cents
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How house sitting with alpacas turned into a digital nomad dream | 29 Sep 2024 | 00:56:47 | |
Sarah Kelsey from the OneUp Project shares the highs and lows of digital nomad life, and how she uses house sitting to make the dream a reality. The idea of taking off to see the world, but still getting to have a career, is an enticing one, and that’s the obvious appeal behind the idea of becoming a digital nomad. If so many people can work from home, then why can’t you also work from anywhere but home? Travel is made easier with money to fund it, and if you’re able to keep working remotely, that’s one big tick to help you out. Another smart tactic is to cut your costs, such as by finding free accommodation by house sitting. The digital nomad world is, however, often full of hype, with only whispers about how hard it can be in reality. That’s not what we do here though… Today, it’s a conversation with someone who’s making this dream a reality, but is also more than willing to share both the highs and the lows of the journey. Like being surrounded by friendly alpacas one minute, and the next, feeling horribly alone without friends and family. So how strategic do you need to get to pull off the digital nomad life, and how do you improve the odds of actually being successful? Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Trailer | 26 Aug 2024 | 00:00:24 | |
Welcome to Making Cents, where we do exactly what it says on the tin - make the money world make sense. I'm Frances Cook, a best-selling author and award-winning journalist, who's been helping people figure out the money world for a few years now. So whether you want to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control, let's talk about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The traveller’s guide to staying money smart | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:15:00 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Kiwibank, who has kindly leant us their expert Hayley Tito, senior product manager for everyday banking, and we’re talking travel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Your questions, answered: Why I quit, best investing strategy? | 10 Nov 2024 | 00:45:01 | |
Frances Cook answers the questions that you sent in, in a solo episode covering the best investing strategies, and why she launched her own business. This week, it’s something a little different. Things have changed around here recently, and I know that’s left people with a few questions. So I opened things up through social media to say, what are the questions on your mind? Everytjing from investing strategies, to why I quit my old job, came through. So… let’s whip through and give you some answers. Questions in this episode: Is there any hope for people just starting out to achieve Financial Independence? Advice for 26yo you? Is there a way to get your kiwisaver out without buying a house? Other investment schemes are better. What small things can I do to kick off investing when I don’t have a lot of money at all? Financial book recommendations? Are you scared to start your own business in a recession? What was your full time job before? What happened to Cooking the Books? I loved it! Do you miss writing about non-financial topics? How do you personally manage the currency risk of your investments? Do you buy hedged products? How is your hair so shiny? What’s your favourite luxury product you’ll never scrimp on? Mine’s fancy toilet roll. Just listened to the episode about how to pay off your home loan faster and it was fantastic and made so much sense. But what about for people who maybe can only save couple of thousand a year? Not really enough to warrant floating, or is it? Or what if you’re just a terrible saver (asking for a friend) or live almost week to week? How much difference does using a mortgage offset actually make? How many ETFs is good. And if you can’t buy a house, what’s the next best thing to do please. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Decoding the housing market's alphabet soup | 06 Nov 2024 | 00:21:01 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, who has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and we’re talking all of those acronyms that turn into alphabet soup when you’re just trying to figure out what’s going on in the property world. So today... we're jargon busting. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Getting BDE vibes for your budget | 06 Oct 2024 | 00:43:16 | |
Cameron Wislang, founder of Big Dollar Energy budgets, shares the tricks for confidence with your money, and budgeting without missing out on life. Budget is often a dirty word, immediately making you think of cutting back and missing out. But what if you used it as a way to create happiness and calm instead? That’s what the founder of Big Dollar Energy Budgets is all about, pushing for an approach that reduces stress and stops you from having to think about money all day every day. And surely, that’s the dream - to feel like you have control over where your money is going, without stressing about every cent? So what’s possible, particularly if you’re not rolling in it? Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The no BS strategy for budgeting, investment, and ditching debt | 03 Nov 2024 | 01:08:17 | |
Glen James, author of The Quick-Start Guide to Investing and host of the Money Money Money podcast, talks money pitfalls and how to invest successfully. Learning how to invest has to be one of the top questions I get in my inbox each week. And I love investing - it’s one of the fun parts of taking control of your money, to see it grow as well. But of course there are pitfalls, and you need to have your financial house in order before you give it a whirl. So how do you avoid the bear traps? Let’s talk to someone who’s ready to drop… more than a few truth bombs. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to avoid being tricked about what's in your investments | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:19:36 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with AMP, which has kindly leant us their expert Kate Brownsey, a sustainable investment analyst, and we’re talking about greenwashing and how to avoid being tricked by it... because nobody likes that. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How financial freedom can lead to a career change | 27 Oct 2024 | 00:45:34 | |
Natasha Etschmann, as known as Tash Invests, shares how investing into stocks and the sharemarket created the opportunity to move from working in health, to running her own business. When you think about starting your own business, the usual advice is to take what you already do for work, and turn it into something you can do on your own. So what if an opportunity comes along that’s totally different to what you’ve been doing until now? That’s what happened to Tash Invests, otherwise known as Natasha Etschmann. One minute she was working as a support worker, finishing her studies to become a full-time occupational therapy worker, and the next her videos about her savings and investments were blowing up online. Making the leap from health, to finance and content creation, is a fairly big one. But she eventually decided, it was time to at least try. Here’s how she made it work. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: Instagram versus reality, for digital nomad life | 23 Oct 2024 | 00:06:25 | |
A highlight clip from the September 30th episode, "How house sitting with alpacas turned into a digital nomad dream", with Sarah Kelsey from the OneUp Project. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| From professional poker, to a podcast empire: the realities of starting a business in the internet age | 20 Oct 2024 | 01:00:58 | |
Steve Holloway and Seamus Marten from Between Two Beers share what it takes to make a business work in the internet age. In some ways, it’s never been easier to start a business. But it’s one thing to start a business, and another to keep it running and making money. Many entrepreneurs start out in an area that they’re passionate about, but soon realise they have to wear a lot of other hats too that they’re not so passionate about, in order to get the business off the ground. People might see your business selling one thing, but what they don’t see is the strategy behind the scenes, the marketing, the accounts, the taxes, ugh the taxes. So what does it take to be in business now, and does making use of the online world make it easier, or harder? Well, there’s a couple of New Zealanders smashing this right now, so I figured it was time to pick their brains. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Is the forever home no more? | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:15:30 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, which has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and we’re talking about how long people actually hold on to their homes. Spoiler alert, it’s not as long as you might think! Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The key to reaching financial independence while raising a family | 13 Oct 2024 | 00:51:51 | |
Ana Kresina, financial educator and author, shares her tactics for career and investments, to get to financial independence faster. Having enough in investments that you don’t need to work anymore sounds, frankly, hard enough for the average person. But what about if you’re trying to raise children as well, a notoriously expensive activity? As always, I’m a believer that it’s possible, as long as you’ve got a strategy. Today’s guest has that same belief. She heard about the financial independence movement and decided actually, she could go for that. So she made moves including changing her career to boost her earning power, and seriously schooling up on finances. The family is along for the ride, and safe to say, there are a few money conversations around the kitchen table. She’s become so good at walking the family and money tightrope that she’s now written two books on it, which have gone on to win awards, and smash sales records. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The underrated way to pay off the mortgage early | 09 Oct 2024 | 00:19:18 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Enable.Me, who has kindly leant us their expert Katie Wesney, a head strategic coach, and we’re talking paying off the mortgage early. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Use the bank's money to pay off your mortgage? You bet. | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:08:10 | |
A quick and dirty update of mortgage tricks to get rid of the debt faster. Including using the bank's money, instead of yours! Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about it, replayed here with permission. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| “Are those ‘mortgage-free in five years’ hacks for real?” Mailbag episode | 10 Dec 2025 | 00:19:58 | |
Ever wondered whether those “mortgage-free in five years” hacks you see online are real, or just clever marketing? With so many mortgage “shortcuts” floating around social media, it’s hard to know what actually works, especially in New Zealand’s property market. In this Ask the Experts episode, we break down the truth behind mortgage-freedom shortcuts: the strategies that genuinely speed up your repayment timeline, the red flags to watch for, and the behavioural traps that can cost you thousands. Financial coach Shelley Palman from EnableMe has tricks from smart mortgage structures like offset and revolving credit, to how much extra principal you actually need to pay to shave years (and hundreds of thousands of dollars) off your loan. We cover: • which “mortgage-free fast” claims are legitimate • the tactics that work for ordinary Kiwi households • common mortgage mistakes that slow you down • how to avoid clickbait mortgage hacks • mindset strategies to stay motivated on a long payoff plan If you’re trying to pay off your mortgage faster, avoid bad mortgage advice, or understand how to structure your home loan for long-term financial freedom, this episode will give you the clarity you need. Don't forget, if you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode! Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Chef Alice Taylor on budget recipes that actually work: $1.50 loaf, 20c noodles | 16 Nov 2025 | 00:43:59 | |
Supermarket total making your stomach drop? You’re not imagining it, food prices have become one of the biggest pain points of the cost-of-living crisis. In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook sits down with chef Alice Taylor, creator of the Cheap and Realistic Eats Cookbook (available at https://www.alicetayloreats.com) to talk about how to eat well without overspending. From $1.50 loaves of bread and 20 cent noodles, to clever ingredient swaps that make baking cheaper and better, Alice shares practical, tested ways to feed a family for less. She explains how to:
This is real-world advice for anyone trying to stretch a grocery budget without sacrificing flavour or enjoyment. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| AI vs human mortgage advice: Why 77% now prefer the robot | 27 Apr 2025 | 00:37:54 | |
Roy Chowdhury, founder of Homely, shares how he created an AI tool to make home lending easier, and the dangers of letting AI take part in your financial decisions. The property journey can be a frustrating one, and frankly, a bit intimidating. We’re talking big numbers, lots of jargon, and people in suits who are in charge of telling you yes or no to your dream. Lovely. So what about a digital helper? An app, that helps you figure out what’s possible and what’s not? Of course, it’s 2025, so it’s using AI. Now this might sound like a welcome handy helper, or it might freak you right out, because you’re wondering why you would trust AI with some of your most sensitive financial information. So let’s dive in - what’s possible, what’s not, and should you trust it? Making Cents is supported by our friends at Kiwibank. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to crush your mortgage while rates are low | 23 Apr 2025 | 00:18:01 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. Interest rates are finally coming down, and so many of us breathe a sigh of relief, especially all the people with a mortgage. But how do you make the most of that, and maybe even get ahead, by putting that new interest rate to work? To get under the skin of the banking world we’ve partnered up with Kiwibank, who has kindly leant us their expert Nicole Pervan, and we’re going to smash through this. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: Mortgage hacks that don't work | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:10:32 | |
A highlight clip from the February 10h episode, “Viral mortgage hacks debunked: Separating clickbait from real advice”, with Dan Bell, financial adviser and co-founder of Colab Mortgages. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to hack your brain to make saving fun | 20 Apr 2025 | 00:40:05 | |
Welcome to Making Cents, the podcast for people who want financial freedom without giving up their coffee, supported by our lovely friends at Kiwibank. I’m Frances Cook, an independent financial journalist and fellow financial freedom seeker who makes money simple for you. Have you ever wished you could hack your brain, so that you can actually do all of that good stuff you know you should be doing with your money? You know, saving for a rainy day, paying off debt, investing… we know we should, but we often don’t, because frankly there are other things to do that are way more fun. Well, enter the latest tech innovation. They’ve tapped into the behavioural psychology that’s often used to keep us online, or gambling, or doing other naughty things… and they’ve flipped it, to help us do the good stuff instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The small business finance guide for people who hate numbers | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:16:52 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Xero, which has kindly lent us their expert GM Sustainability and Impact Tam Somers, and we’re talking about how we shouldn’t let the fear of numbers hold us back from those dreams of launching a side hustle or small business, absolutely speaking my language on this one because I don’t love the spreadsheet side of my business either, but it’s still doable! Check out Xero's free Know Your Numbers financial education resource right here: https://knowyournumbers.xero.com/ If you want to bag a bargain, Making Cents listeners can get a whopper of a discount on Xero. Go to this link www.xero.com/francescook to help supercharge your small business. The information in this podcast is general information only and you should seek appropriate tax, financial and legal advice as may be appropriate for your personal or business needs. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Your 2025 financial survival plan: LIVE replay | 15 Apr 2025 | 00:53:54 | |
With tariffs flying, interest rates falling, and the job market looking a little rough... how do you survive? Here's a survival plan, and an Ask Me Anything session, so that you can feel more confident with your cash in 2025. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Escaping the broken 9-5: How Rosie McCarthy went from poverty to a $3m business, then burned it all down | 13 Apr 2025 | 01:05:55 | |
Welcome to Making Cents, the podcast for people who want financial freedom without giving up their coffee, supported by our lovely friends at Kiwibank. I’m Frances Cook, an independent financial journalist and fellow financial freedom seeker who makes money simple for you. How much money would it take for you to abandon your morals? Or sell something that you didn’t really believe in anymore? That’s the question that today’s guest Rosie McCarthy had to ask herself. She’d built up a career coaching business, Badass Careers, and was making over a million dollars in sales a year. And yet, as it progressed, she got disillusioned. She had ringside seats to exactly how bruising the world of work was becoming, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to encourage people into the corporate grind anymore. Instead, she was becoming more convinced of self-employment, and entrepreneurship, as the path to help people find financial freedom while still living a life that they found rewarding. So she decided… time to shut it all down, and start again. To leap into the unknown, stop being a career coach, and instead help people build a business for themselves. So why has the world of work turned so toxic, and should we all become our boss? Let’s talk about it. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tariffs, inflation, and interest rates: LIVE REPLAY we answer your money questions | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:53:50 | |
A replay of the live webinar version of Making Cents, answering audience questions on tariffs, how to invest when the market is down, what to do about KiwiSaver, best strategies for the mortgage while interest rates are falling, and whether your job is safe. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Avoid these home buying mistakes: Non-negotiables, weird open home tricks, and red flags | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:28:16 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. We’ve been talking a lot about a buyer’s market in property, which has led to my DMs filling up with hopeful first home buyers, saying, is it our time? So this week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, who has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and she’s going to help us answer exactly that - if you want to buy now, can you make the most of the current situation? Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "TradeMe nearly failed... then we sold for $750 million" - Rowan Simpson on how to make millions in startups | 06 Apr 2025 | 00:58:22 | |
There’s investing, and then there’s "Capital I Investing", the one that comes with big risk, and if it works, big reward. Today’s guest Rowan Simpson is someone who’s flown under the radar in that scene for a while, first working at some of our iconic tech startups, and then investing in them. Rowan Simpson started out by saving up $10,000 to create his own tech company, Flathunt.co.nz. He’s since gone on a journey that involves TradeMe, Xero, Vend, and Timely, iconic companies, and he’s got millions more than that first $10,000. Now, he’s a private and early-stage venture investor, keeping an eye out for that next great business that can take the world by storm So how did he get from $10,000 to tens of millions… and what does he want the rest of us to know, before we try to copy him? Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Boost your savings without living a boring life | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:06:36 | |
Create a savings buffer without that nagging feeling of deprivation. Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about the savings tips that help you build a better money life, without cutting everything fun. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week, or become a confident sharemarket investor by joining the Market Memo newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Your small business crystal ball: Predicting success from past numbers | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:12:48 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Xero, which has kindly leant us their expert Mere Teinaki, from Northland Chartered Accountants, and we’re talking about how everyone says you need to know your numbers... but how do you actually do that? Then, how you use that to make a plan? Basically, it's how to use the past to predict the future. If you want to bag a bargain, Making Cents listeners can get a whopper of a discount on Xero. Go to this link www.xero.com/francescook to help supercharge your small business. The information in this podcast is general information only and you should seek appropriate tax, financial and legal advice as may be appropriate for your personal or business needs. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: Do you need a degree for your dream job? | 01 Apr 2025 | 00:13:21 | |
A highlight clip from the February 17h episode, “How to negotiate your career like a CEO”, with Rhiannon McKinnon, former CEO of Kiwi Wealth, current CEO and founder of CEO101. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Housing, KiwiSaver, and debt: Solving NZ’s biggest money issues with the Retirement Commissioner | 30 Mar 2025 | 00:57:32 | |
Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson explains some of the biggest money mistakes she sees, and how we can all do something to fix them. Money can be frustrating, and all of us have had at least once or twice when we’ve wondered, why isn’t someone trying to make this a bit easier for me? Why does it have to feel like such an uphill battle? Well, there are actually some people whose job it is to work away behind the scenes, badgering the government on everything from changing our education system, to retirement savings, to housing… it’s just that, well, there’s a lot to fix and sometimes resistance to fixing it. One of those people here in New Zealand is the Retirement Commissioner. And actually, her job starts well before you or I turn 65. One of her big projects at the moment, is actually helping us stamp out money problems while we’re still at school. So what are most of us getting wrong with our money, and are there easy wins, whether it’s from us, or bigger government changes? Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| People are getting scammed - here's what you need to know | 26 Mar 2025 | 00:25:00 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Kiwibank, who has kindly leant us their expert fraud specialist Alyssa Charles-Green, and we’re talking about the fraudsters and scammers who want to get you, and how you can beat them at their own game. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: What's currency risk for your investments? | 25 Mar 2025 | 00:03:21 | |
A highlight clip from the November 11h episode, “Your questions, answered: Why I quit, best investing strategy?”. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The four levels of FU money - and how to build them | 23 Mar 2025 | 00:32:52 | |
If you've ever wondered, what is FU money, and could you ever have enough to quit your job? In this episode Frances breaks down what FU money is, and the four levels that make it easier to achieve, from basic survival funds to true financial independence. Then it's into an Ask Me Anything, for your burning questions including how investment funds work, and the benefits of rentvesting as an alternative to buying a home. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to invest in 2025: Predictions, risks, and strategies to sleep easy | 19 Mar 2025 | 00:22:35 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with AMP, which has kindly leant us their expert Aaron Klee, General Manager, Investment Management. We’re talking how it feels like the world is falling apart at the moment, and how to invest through volatility, uncertainty, and a rollercoaster ride of a stock market. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: How to turn a creative career into a real business | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:11:55 | |
A highlight clip from the December 9th episode, “The secret to making money doing what you love”, with Pepper Raccoon, artist and merch designer. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| “Screw it, just try” – how to turn your side hustle into the main hustle | 16 Mar 2025 | 00:50:20 | |
Beth Vickers, vocal coach, singer, doula, gardening influencer, shares how motherhood led to changing everything about her career. It can be really hard to make life and work fit together, and that’s particularly the case when kids come along. Time becomes scarcer than ever, but you also very much need to keep paying the bills. Now you might not think that that’s the ideal time to launch your own business… but that’s what one mum did. She took the leap into the self-employed life, and found that with a bit of planning she was actually working less, earning more, and enjoying life a lot more. Here’s the unusual way she made it work. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The smart house seller's guide: Winning tactics for a changing property market | 12 Mar 2025 | 00:25:25 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week I’ve partnered up with realestate.co.nz, who has kindly leant us their expert Vanessa Williams, and we’re talking about what you need to know before you sell your house, so that you can be the smartest seller out there. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, click here https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| “We were gifted $100K, how do we not blow it?” Mailbag episode | 12 Nov 2025 | 00:15:37 | |
A $100,000 gift should feel like freedom, so why does it come with so much pressure? In this Making Cents mailbag episode, a listener writes in after being gifted $100K from family. They’ve got a big mortgage, no savings, and a long wish-list that includes home repairs, maternity leave, and some breathing room in the budget. The question: how do you use a windfall like this without wasting it? Frances Cook talks to Katie Wesney, head strategic coach at EnableMe, about how to turn a one-off gift into long-term financial security. They unpack how to prioritise between paying down the mortgage, building an emergency fund, and improving your home, plus smart ways to use a revolving credit account to keep flexibility while cutting interest. If you’ve ever wondered what to do after receiving a cash gift, inheritance, or bonus, this episode will show you how to make every dollar count, avoid the “easy come, easy go” trap, and set yourself up for the future. If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode! Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: How to boost your money motivation | 11 Mar 2025 | 00:04:29 | |
A highlight clip from the November 4th episode, “The no BS strategy for budgeting, investment, and ditching debt”, with Glen James, author of The Quick-Start Guide to Investing and host of the Money Money Money podcast. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, click here https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| "You can be a good Muslim and be rich" - the world of halal investing | 09 Mar 2025 | 00:47:27 | |
Muhammad Lambat, content creator and founder of @musliminvesting, shares how halal investing works, and some of the barriers for Muslim people becoming confident with their money. There are lots of issues that can hold people back from learning about their money, and one of them is just feeling like it could all be a bit complicated and hard. So add in a layer of religion, and what works and doesn’t work for your faith, and you have a recipe for people getting confused, and giving up. Enter Muhammad Lambat from Muslim Investing. He’s dedicated himself to figuring out halal investing, and what that means, from whether you can get a mortgage, to when crypto is ok, or not. There are also lots of grey areas, where even people in the know disagree. So let’s jump in to figure it out. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, click here https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tax time myths, expenses, and avoiding costly mistakes | 05 Mar 2025 | 00:24:15 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week I’ve partnered up with Xero, who has kindly lent us their expert, chartered accountant Paul Churchman, and we’re talking about the myths that pop up at the end of the financial year. If you want to bag a bargain, Making Cents listeners can get a whopper of a discount on Xero. Go to this link www.xero.com/francescook to help supercharge your small business. The information in this podcast is general information only and you should seek appropriate tax, financial and legal advice as may be appropriate for your personal or business needs. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, go to https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: Why mini retirement beats early retirement | 04 Mar 2025 | 00:08:40 | |
A highlight clip from the December 23rd episode, “Why this family switched 'early retirement' for 'mini retirement' in a van”, with Kellie Dawson. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, click here https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How to organise your home to save money | 02 Mar 2025 | 00:40:32 | |
Angela McLachlan, professional organiser and founder of Sort My House, shares how to organise your life to reduce stress and save money. When you’re trying to live your best life for less, there’s an underrated trick… just getting organised. Knowing what you have, and where it is, can mean not buying as much overall. Not to mention, your time has value, and being organised can save a heap of that. But where do you start, and do you need to buy a bunch of stuff to get organised too? Let’s bring in the pros. Links If you want to join the Money Bootcamp course, click here https://www.francescook.co.nz/money-bootcamp Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| From budgets to bottles, how to prep your money for parenthood | 26 Feb 2025 | 00:16:20 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with Kiwibank, which has kindly leant us their expert Hayley Tito, senior product manager for everyday banking, and we’re talking parenthood and how that changes your finances. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: Why loving your job can hold you back | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:14:11 | |
A highlight clip from the December 16th episode, “The hidden psychology that helps you build wealth - and why meditating hurts your money”, with Dr Brad Klontz, co-author of the new book Start Thinking Rich: 21 Harsh Truths to Take You from Broke to Financial Freedom. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Predatory lending just got worse - the ugly truth of cosmetic surgery loans | 23 Feb 2025 | 00:34:18 | |
Frances Cook breaks down the problem with plastic surgery loans now targeting you on social media, then answers your questions in a quick-fire Ask Me Anything session. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Why is insurance getting more expensive? | 19 Feb 2025 | 00:26:52 | |
Welcome to Ask the Experts, where each week we talk to people in the industry to get the inside word on what’s happening right now, and what that means for the tactics that you should use to make the most of your money. This week we’ve partnered up with AdviceFirst, which has kindly leant us their expert Willie Moala, national insurance lead. We're talking everything you've always wanted to know about insurance, including what you need, and what you don't. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Quick Hit: How to combine family life, and financial freedom | 18 Feb 2025 | 00:07:41 | |
A highlight clip from the December 23rd episode, “Why this family switched 'early retirement' for 'mini retirement' in a van”, with Kellie Dawson, financial freedom seeker and mum. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| KiwiSaver weapons investing is up 40% - how to invest ethically and still make money, with Mindful Money’s Barry Coates | 09 Nov 2025 | 01:01:17 | |
One of the biggest tools you’ve got for creating change is already in your pocket - your KiwiSaver. It quietly funds companies, industries, and ideas every single day. And like it or not, where that money goes can be more powerful than voting or any $5 consumer boycott. The problem? Most of us have no idea what we’re actually investing in. Weapons investing is up 40 per cent. Fossil fuels are on the rise. And some of the world’s biggest corporations are still getting a slice of your retirement savings. In this episode, financial journalist Frances Cook talks to Barry Coates from Mindful Money about how to find out exactly where your KiwiSaver cash is going, and how to shift it somewhere better. Links Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week. This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne Audio engineering by Tash Chittock It’s easier than you think, it doesn’t hurt your returns, and it could be your most powerful vote yet. Because you really can get rich without selling your soul. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||