Making Cents
The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On...
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Should You Buy Property or Invest in Stocks? Most Kiwis Get This Wrong
<p>Property vs shares. It’s one a big investing decision, and also an easy one to get stuck on.</p><p>In this Ask the Experts episode, we’re tackling a question that comes up all the time: should you invest in property or the sharemarket?</p><p>Frances Cook is joined by Katie Wesney from EnableMe to break down the real differences between property investing and sharemarket investing.</p><p></p><p>We get into:</p><p>– Is property still a good investment in New Zealand, or has the game changed?</p><p>– What people don’t realise about the...
She Went From 'Bad With Money' To Successful Investor: What Actually Worked
<p>She used to think she was “bad with money.”</p><p>Now she’s a confident, and unapologetically unconventional, investor.</p><p>In this episode of Making Cents, Sophie Hallwright, co-founder of The Curve, is ready to unpack the messy path from financial self-doubt to building real confidence with money.</p><p>Before helping thousands of women learn about investing, Sophie learned the hard way.</p><p>This conversation digs into the reality behind that shift. The trial and error, the risks, and the lessons that actually stick.</p><p>Because for many people, getting “good with money” doesn’t come from...
The Quick Calculation To Know If Solar and EVs Are Right For You
<p>With power prices and fuel costs climbing, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to break down who solar panels and electric vehicles actually make sense for and how to run the numbers yourself.</p><p>Follow me everywhere!</p><p>Facebook / Frances Cook - Journalist</p><p>Instagram / Frances | Money | Investing (@francescooknz) • Instagram profile</p><p>TikTok / Frances Cook on TikTok</p><p>Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week Newsletter sign up</p><p>Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter Newsletter si...
Breakup reset: how to rebuild financially in your 40s and 50s
<p>A breakup doesn’t just end a relationship. It can blow up the entire financial plan you built together.</p><p>For many people in their 40s and 50s, that means suddenly having to make huge money decisions alone, about the house, retirement, and what rebuilding your life actually looks like from here.</p><p>In this episode of Ask the Experts, Will White from Heartland Bank is in the hot seat to help a listener facing exactly that situation.</p><p>After a 10-year relationship ends, our listener is trying to decide whether to buy their ex-partner out of...
How to eat better food, spend less, and feel good about it - with Michal Garvey from Foodprint
<p>You can cancel subscriptions, ditch takeaway coffee, and trim your budget… but you still have to eat. And the way most of us shop for food? It’s costing us more than it should.</p><p>In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook talks to Michal Garvey, founder of Foodprint, the app that’s redirected millions of dollars’ worth of surplus food from cafés and restaurants into the hands of everyday Kiwis, at a fraction of the price.</p><p>But this isn’t just about cheaper meals.</p><p>Michal shares a different way to think about food...
I Spent $89,000 on Solar And Electric Car In NZ… Was It Worth It?
<p>I spent $89,000 on solar power and an electric car… and it has a better return on investment than the sharemarket.</p><p>With electricity prices rising fast, more Kiwis are asking whether solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicles are worth it.</p><p>So in this episode of the Making Cents podcast, I break down exactly what happened when I overhauled my home energy setup, including the real costs, the savings, and whether solar power in New Zealand actually stacks up financially.</p><p>In this episode, we cover:</p>The true cost of installing solar panels and a...
Iran, Oil, and Your Money: Why Everything Is More Expensive And Your Investments Are Tanking - WEBINAR REPLAY
<p>A conflict in the Middle East is already showing up in Kiwi bank accounts, after sending shockwaves through the global economy. </p><p>From food to petrol, daily essentials are becoming more expensive. Interest rates and mortgages could be going up. The sharemarket, and therefore your KiwiSaver, is looking wobbly. </p><p>So what’s actually going on, and what should you do about it? </p><p>In this live Making Cents webinar, Frances Cook is joined by Infometrics economist Brad Olsen, Stuff Money editor Damien Venuto, and Kernel CEO Dean Anderson to break down what the Iran conflict co...
From $30,000 Debt to Financially Free and Travelling the World: The Shift That Changed Everything
<p>Emma Healey knows about financial transformation - she went from debt and financial stress to building passive income, investing, and designing a life that includes long-term family travel and early retirement goals.</p><p>Now known for her practical money advice at mumsmoney.co.nz, Emma didn’t get there through deprivation. Instead, she used behavioural finance strategies, including gamifying her debt payoff, to stay consistent and motivated.</p><p>In this conversation, she explains how she:</p>Paid off $30,000 of debt using the debt snowball methodRewired her spending habits by replacing the dopamine hit of spending with savingBuilt sa...
Fast Fixes for Rising Costs: Fuel, Food, and Finances
<p>As the Iran conflict keeps pushing up the costs of daily essentials, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how you can save money on food, fuel, and even your KiwiSaver.</p><p>Follow me everywhere!</p><p>Facebook / Frances Cook - Journalist</p><p>Instagram / Frances | Money | Investing (@francescooknz) • Instagram profile</p><p>TikTok / Frances Cook on TikTok</p><p>Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week Newsletter sign up</p><p>Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter Newsletter si...
"Is Politics About To Ruin My First Home Buying Plans?" - Mailbag Episode
<p>Is politics about to derail your house buying plans?</p><p>With an election looming, talk of capital gains taxes, housing policy changes, and the possibility of government interference is everywhere. And if you’re trying to buy your first home, it’s enough to make you wonder… should you rush in, or wait it out?</p><p>In this episode of Ask the Experts, Frances Cook is joined by Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz to cut through the noise and focus on what actually matters.</p><p>We’re talking:</p>what election years have historically meant fo...
