Making Cents
byFrances Cook
BusinessInvestingEducationHow-To
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...
Episodes(40 episodes)
“Do I really need a million dollars to retire?” Mailbag episode
Nothing spikes the heart rate quite like seeing a headline claiming you need a million dollars to retire.This week’s Ask the Experts listener is 47, the kids are nearly out the door, and retirement planning in New Zealand has suddenly stopped feeling like a ‘one day’ problem.Which means the recent run of articles about retirement savings, retirement villages, or aged care costs are sending her straight into panic mode.She’s heard the horror stories, of complex retirement village contracts, huge upfront costs, expensive aged care facilities, and now she’s wo...
Published: Dec 17, 2025Duration: 17:33
Jenny-May Clarkson on leaving TVNZ, reinvention, and career pivots
Jenny-May Clarkson is one of the most recognisable faces in Aotearoa, from her years as a Silver Fern to fronting the TVNZ Breakfast couch every morning.She’s also living proof that starting over and reinventing your career is now incredibly common. And sometimes, incredibly public.After quite quickly leaving the TVNZ Breakfast team, Jenny-May is now facing the same reality so many Kiwis deal with: when a secure job disappears, what happens next?Because behind the lights and glamour, the truth is simple. People on screen rely on that pa...
Published: Dec 14, 2025Duration: 59:55
Use the bank's money to pay off your mortgage? You bet.
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. LinksFollow 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.
Published: Dec 11, 2025Duration: 8:10
“Are those ‘mortgage-free in five years’ hacks for real?” Mailbag episode
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 str...
Published: Dec 10, 2025Duration: 19:58
How nine years in a tiny home bought freedom
If you’ve ever wondered whether living in a tiny home can genuinely change your life, this is a story worth hearing.
After nearly nine years in her tiny house, Kasia Morrison has rebuilt her entire life from the ground up - financially, personally, and professionally.
Downsizing didn’t just cut her cost of living. It gave her the freedom to start over when everything else collapsed: her marriage, her business, and the future she thought she was building.
But tiny-home living comes with financial fish hooks too, from higher-interest loans, to the reality that a tiny house doesn’t behave...
Published: Dec 7, 2025Duration: 36:26
“How to find an affordable first home in an expensive city - maybe with a llama?” Mailbag episode
If property prices are doing your head in and you’re starting to wonder whether buying a first home is even possible anymore, it’s time to figure out what’s actually happening.A listener from Wellington writes in to say they love their city, they want stability for their kids, but every time they look at the market, it feels completely out of reach.In this Ask the Experts episode, Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz helps me dig into what’s actually happening in the New Zealand property market right now, whether...
Published: Dec 3, 2025Duration: 17:39
Angry at credit card debt? Here’s how to fight back, with Sasha Lockley from Money Sweetspot
Plenty of us get angry about the money world being unfair. But few people get angry enough to actually change something.Sasha Lockley did.Sasha started Money Sweetspot because, in her own words, she was furious. Furious that so many ordinary New Zealanders were working hard, making tough decisions, and still drowning in debt.In this episode of Making Cents, we dig into the emotional and practical realities of debt in New Zealand.We talk about why people get trapped, what actually works to pay down loans faster...
Published: Nov 30, 2025Duration: 39:27
How to take the first steps into investing
Become an investor with less stress, and no finance degree.Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk about how to get out of your own way if you've been wanting to dip a toe into the sharemarket.LinksFollow 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.
Published: Nov 27, 2025Duration: 8:32
“Single mum at 46, how do I avoid poverty at 70?” Mailbag episode
If you’ve pushed money aside for years, only to wake up in your mid-40s with a toddler, a tiny KiwiSaver balance, and a creeping fear about what life looks like at 70… where do you even begin?That’s the heart of today’s Ask the Experts letter.A single mum at 46 is saving just a few dollars a week, working part-time, and terrified that she’s already run out of time to build any kind of financial safety.So what are the options when you’re starting late, starting sma...
Published: Nov 26, 2025Duration: 19:55
I cut 8 years off my mortgage with $20 - here's how
A simple $20 tweak can dramatically cut down the life of your mortgage, so now it’s time to talk about the strategy I used to shave eight years off mine.
With just a small repayment, years disappeared. So here’s how, and why, it works.
I’ve used my experience as a financial journalist to change my money, so get an inside look at my finances, then why extra repayments are so powerful in the early years of a home loan, how interest is actually structured, and the practical ways you can use that to get mortgage-free faster to make it wor...
Published: Nov 23, 2025Duration: 19:58
Smart, simple, sharemarket investing, get your money strategy ready for 2026. WEBINAR REPLAY
Cash funds, bonds, index funds, shares… what’s the difference, and how do you figure out which mix is right for you?If you want to invest but have felt confused by the options, this is the live session for you.In this live edition of the Making Cents podcast, Frances Cook is joined by some of New Zealand’s top investing experts to break down simple, smart sharemarket strategies to help you get your money ready for 2026.We cover:The real differences between cash funds, bonds, and shares...
Published: Nov 20, 2025Duration: 56:06
"My kids want me to get a reverse mortgage, will it ruin their inheritance?” Mailbag episode
You’ve worked your whole life to pay off the mortgage. The house is finally yours. But somehow, the money worries haven’t gone away.In this Making Cents mailbag episode, a listener in their 70s writes in after becoming mortgage-free, yet still feeling anxious every time they spend a dollar.Living on the pension with little savings, they want to enjoy retirement but are scared of running out of money.Their children think a reverse mortgage could be the answer, but will unlocking home equity today destroy their inheritance tomo...
Published: Nov 19, 2025Duration: 16:42
Chef Alice Taylor on budget recipes that actually work: $1.50 loaf, 20c noodles
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:
- Build a staple pa...
Published: Nov 16, 2025Duration: 43:59
Boost your savings without living a boring life
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. LinksFollow 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.
Published: Nov 13, 2025Duration: 6:36
“We were gifted $100K, how do we not blow it?” Mailbag episode
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 in...
Published: Nov 12, 2025Duration: 15:37
KiwiSaver weapons investing is up 40% - how to invest ethically and still make money, with Mindful Money’s Barry Coates
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 saving...
Published: Nov 9, 2025Duration: 1:01:17
Is the 0.01% rule the secret to guilt-free spending?
Fast Money with Jim Mora on Sunday Morning with RNZ. Does the 0.01% rule help us spend in a smarter way? And if you really hate maths, does the 24-hour rule, the cost per use rule, or the fun budget work better?LinksFollow 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.
Published: Nov 6, 2025Duration: 17:16
“I can’t buy a house, is commercial property a better investment?” Mailbag episode
What if the smartest way to get into property investing isn’t a house at all?That’s the question in this week’s Making Cents mailbag, from a listener who wants to invest but feels locked out of the residential market.With house prices still sky-high in many areas, this listener asks if commercial property could be the secret path to becoming an investor, or if it’s just a riskier bet in disguise.Frances Cook talks to Vanessa Williams from http://Realestate.co.nz about what first-time investors need to...
Published: Nov 5, 2025Duration: 17:00
Overcoming a $100k fear of failure, with Ecoya CEO Claire Barnes
When Ecoya CEO Claire Barnes was 23, she lost $100,000 of her dad’s life insurance money on a failed business. The experience left her with a fear of failure so strong it followed her for nearly two decades, even as she rose to lead one of New Zealand’s most successful lifestyle brands.In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook talks to Claire about what it takes to rebuild after financial loss, how to turn failure into a learning curve, and why she now believes fear is proof you’re on the right path.Clai...
Published: Nov 2, 2025Duration: 51:25
Smart side hustle strategies for when work isn't paying enough
If you're looking to earn more money on the side, here's the guide to doing it more successfully.Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain how to find a good side hustle, and do it without tanking your finances.LinksFollow 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.
Published: Oct 30, 2025Duration: 7:19