Each week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's a smart side hustle that could be easier than you think. Hosted by Frances Cook.

When you’re trying to manage your money, of course you first need to get a handle on what’s leaving your wallet every month.

But just as important is figuring out if you have enough money coming in, and whether there are ways you can get more of it.

There are all sorts of interesting side hustles that people have turned to, but one that doesn’t get much attention is furniture flipping.

Basically, find something that’s unloved and therefore going cheap. Use some elbow grease to turn it into a piece that could become the pride of someone else’s home, and then sell it for a profit.

It’s a great way to stop things going to landfill, make some money, and can also be a very satisfying hobby.

And take it from one rather uncoordinated podcast host – you can get the necessary skills for this much quicker than you think.

For the latest Cooking the Books I talked to Nicky Rutter, or @budgetingkiwihousewife on Instagram.

We discussed how she got started upcycling furniture, how much money can be made, and the traps to be careful of.

If you have a question you'd like answered in a future podcast, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

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