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PODCAST

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

business investing

All Episodes

17:00

“I can’t buy a house, is commercial property a better...

Making Cents ·

2025/11/05

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

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51:25

Overcoming a $100k fear of failure, with Ecoya CEO...

Making Cents ·

2025/11/02

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

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7:19

Smart side hustle strategies for when work isn't...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/30

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

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18:47

“We’re paying for private school, two dream homes,...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/29

On paper, today’s listener has it made. Two multimillion-dollar homes, no mortgage, and investments on the side.But with private-school fees, high living costs, and no full-time second income, the numbers don’t add up.Their savings are shrinking fast, and the stress is rising even faster.In this week’s Ask the Experts, Frances Cook and EnableMe’s head strategic coach Katie Wesney unpack what really causes wealth to feel fragile, even when you’re technically “doing well.”They dig into why cash flow,

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37:37

My lazy investing strategy, account hacks, and what...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/26

You sent in a flood of money questions, and I’m ready to answer them all.In this Ask Me Anything episode, I’m going unfiltered to talk through the money decisions you’re most curious about, including:What my actual investment portfolio looks like (and why lazy wins)How to set up your bank accounts to kill money stressWhether to pay off debt, boost KiwiSaver, or start investing firstWhen to sell your shares, and when to hold your nerveHow to rebuild financially after hitting resetPlus, the truth

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54:50

Jobs, interest rates, and real strategies for...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/23

If you feel like you’re doing it tough, you’re far from alone. The New Zealand economy has been struggling, and regular New Zealanders are feeling the pinch. Business confidence is down, unemployment is up, and core cost-of-living measures such as food and power prices don’t look good. Interest rates are now falling, but house prices are staying flat. So is there hope for an economic comeback, or is there the possibility of a deeper crash? Time to bring in the experts, with: Simplicity chief

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17:20

Mailbag: “How much should I save, when my job is shaky?”

Making Cents ·

2025/10/22

How much should you actually have in savings to feel safe?In this week’s Ask the Experts, it’s a listener letter from someone worried about layoffs and wondering whether they’ve saved enough - or maybe even too much.Heartland Bank’s Will White joins the show to unpack what a real emergency fund looks like in 2025.How many months of expenses should you really have tucked away? What happens if you over-save and leave too much cash sitting idle instead of investing it? And where’s the best place to

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58:55

Financiallly free in just 11 years, with The Happy Saver

Making Cents ·

2025/10/19

What if financial freedom didn’t take a lifetime, but just 11 years?Ruth Henderson,also known as The Happy Saver, proves it’s possible.She’s never been on a huge salary, didn’t get an inheritance, and never flipped property.Instead, through smart saving, simple investing into the sharemarket, and relentless consistency, they built enough wealth to become work-optional in just over a decade.And Ruth’s ready to share exactly how they did it.In this episode, we cover:How to reach financial independence

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9:14

Why 'perfect balance' can wreck your finances

Making Cents ·

2025/10/16

Your bank balance might be looking rough, but don’t panic.Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain why it’s normal for your money to ebb and flow, why “perfect balance” is a myth, and how to stay on track through the messy seasons of life and money.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

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14:23

The $1 trillion time bomb: Why Kiwi families are...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/15

New Zealand is in the middle of a $1 trillion inheritance wave, and most families are walking into it completely unprepared.As Baby Boomers move into their 70s and 80s, we’re experiencing the biggest intergenerational wealth transfer in the country’s history. But the money isn’t the problem, it’s the silence.In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook is joined by Katie Wesney from EnableMe to break down the inheritance conversations Kiwis aren’t having, and the painful

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53:13

"I nannied for billionaires, it changed my entire...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/12

What if the 9-5 is over?The idea of a steady job and one career path for life is becoming rarer, and maybe even unrealistic.In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook talks to Hannah Koumakis about what it actually looks like when you build a career across acting, business, content, and community, all at once.What happens when you abandon the “one job for life” model, and instead create opportunities in the new world of work, where you often need multiple streams of income to get ahead, and where

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6:57

"Shock therapy" OCR cut, job pain, mortgage gain?...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/09

The Reserve Bank has slashed the Official Cash Rate, so what does that mean for how bad the economy is, and what is coming next?Frances Cook talks to the TVNZ Breakfast team about what you need to know for your mortgage, your job, and the overall economy.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

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16:30

Mailbag: “Can I find an undervalued suburb, or was my...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/08

A listener letter asks if you can really find an undervalued suburb, or is it all luck?Host Frances Cook is joined by Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz to unpack whether you can actually spot an up-and-coming suburb before it booms.Sure, one clever buy could mean your net worth booms, but how do you play that game to win?This episode digs into:How to use real estate data to compare suburbs and spot growth trendsWhat infrastructure, transport links, and buyer demand reveal about the next

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46:18

“Consumerism is just filling a void” - how to stop...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/05

We all like to think we’re making smart money decisions… but half the time it’s actually our unconscious brain calling the shots.The result? Accidental self-sabotage, money guilt, and financial myths that keep us stuck.In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook is joined by financial coach and commentator Amanda Morrall to bust the biggest money myths holding people back, and show how to break free.We dig into:Why money is 90% mindset and only 10% mechanicsHow consumerism tricks us into “filling

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8:03

Why "financial flashpoints" hold you back, and how to...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/02

"Financial flashpoints" are the moments that can take over you subconscious, and quietly derail the best of money plans. They can push smart people, to make some bad choices. Frances Cook talks to the TVNZ Breakfast team about how to spot them, and stop them taking over. LinksFollow 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.

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18:27

Buying vs building: Which property strategy builds...

Making Cents ·

2025/10/01

Old vs new: Which property strategy builds more wealth?When you're deciding whether to buy a house or build one, you're not just choosing a home, you're making one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.In this Ask the Experts episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook is joined by Kirsty Healey from EnableMe to unpack the pros and cons of buying an existing home vs building new. And importantly, which option could help you build more long-term wealth.Whether you're a

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38:12

What I learned from starting over in my 30s

Making Cents ·

2025/09/28

What really happens when you burn everything down and start over in your late 30s?In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook shares the raw reality of leaving a high-profile media job, building a business from scratch, and creating financial freedom on her own terms.This episode dives into the money lessons, business mistakes, and mindset shifts that come with starting over later in life.From learning how to begin imperfectly, to setting boundaries, to turning financial security into life

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21:10

The hidden costs of buying a home (and how to avoid...

Making Cents ·

2025/09/24

Buying a house in New Zealand? Don’t get caught out by hidden costs.In this episode of Ask the Experts, we reveal the true cost of buying a home, beyond the sale price.From legal fees to building inspections or surprise repair bills, these are the extra expenses that can seriously derail your property plans if you’re not prepared.We break down the most common hidden costs that first home buyers overlook, how much they typically add up to, and smart ways to avoid nasty financial surprises.Whether

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53:02

How to start investing, and go from $5, to financial...

Making Cents ·

2025/09/22

Think shares are too risky or too complicated? Think again.In this live webinar, Frances Cook is joined by Ruth Henderson from The Happy Saver, independent financial journalist and founder of The Bottom Line, Paul McBeth, and Dean Anderson, founder of investing platform Kernel. Together they’re going to break down how investing really works, without the jargon, hype, or Wall Street bros.You’ll learn:- Why the sharemarket isn’t gambling, but ownership in real businesses- How and why prices actually

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37:01

Why we financially sabotage ourselves, and how to stop

Making Cents ·

2025/09/21

Most of us don’t just make money mistakes, we repeat them.Why? Because our money beliefs and money psychology are quietly running the show.In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook dives into how financial self-sabotage happens, with guest Nick Alcock, a tax debt coach and chartered accountant who uses financial therapy techniques.From compulsive buying and gambling, to financial enabling, money avoidance, and even being too scared to ask for a pay rise, it’s all on the

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165 results

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