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.

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.

But this isn’t just about cheaper meals.

Michal shares a different way to think about food, money, and the cost of living, including the common food budgeting mistake most people don’t realise they’re making, and why it’s leaving money on the table.

We also get into the link between your grocery bill and the survival of small businesses, how much food cafés are actually throwing away each year, and what that waste is really costing them.

Not to mention, what all of this says about New Zealand’s food system, supply chains, and long-term food security?

If you want to spend less on food, eat well, and understand what’s really driving food prices, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to save money on food without cutting quality
• The biggest food budgeting mistake most people make
• How surplus food apps like Foodprint work
• Why cafés throw away so much food (and what it costs them)
• The link between cost of living and small business pressure
• What’s really going on with food supply and security in New Zealand

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

I spent $89,000 on solar power and an electric car… and it has a better return on investment than the sharemarket.

With electricity prices rising fast, more Kiwis are asking whether solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicles are worth it.

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.

In this episode, we cover:

• The true cost of installing solar panels and a home battery in NZ
• How much I’m saving on power (and why my bills are sometimes negative)
• Whether solar can actually make you money, or just save it
• How green loans (as low as 0–1%) can change the investment maths
• Why timing your power usage matters more than selling it back to the grid
• How to do this cheaper and smarter than I did

Plus, the practical realities, from power price trends to choosing the right system, avoiding common traps, and figuring out if solar is right for your home.

This isn’t a “go green” pitch. It’s a real-world breakdown of whether solar and EVs are a good financial decision, and how to make the numbers work in your favour.

If you’re trying to cut rising power costs, invest smarter, or future-proof your household expenses, this episode gives you the data and strategy to decide.

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

A conflict in the Middle East is already showing up in Kiwi bank accounts, after sending shockwaves through the global economy.

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.

So what’s actually going on, and what should you do about it?

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 could mean for your money.

We’re talking about:

• Why petrol, groceries, and everyday costs are under price pressure
• What rising energy prices can mean for inflation and interest rates
• Why sharemarkets often wobble during global crises
• And most importantly, how to make smart financial decisions in all these areas
• Because global events might be outside your control, but how you respond with your money, isn’t.

Join us live for a clear, practical conversation about what’s happening now, what could happen next, and how to protect your finances.

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.

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.

In this conversation, she explains how she:

• Paid off $30,000 of debt using the debt snowball method
• Rewired her spending habits by replacing the dopamine hit of spending with saving
• Built savings and started investing, even on a modest income
• Transitioned from property investing to shares and index funds
• Designed a values-based money system that prioritises travel, family, and flexibility

Once the debt was gone, everything changed, not just financially, but mentally. Structure created freedom, and financial control opened up options.

That’s how Emma and her family were able to spend a year travelling through Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia, funded not by endless sacrifice, but by intentional money decisions.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

Follow me everywhere!

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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.

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Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Is politics about to derail your house buying plans?

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?

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.

We’re talking:

1. what election years have historically meant for the property market
2. why uncertainty can stall buyers (and when that can backfire),
3. what’s really happening in the property market right now, from supply levels to buyer behaviour
4. and what political announcements you should keep an eye on, because they could truly move the market.

Plus, the key policy changes worth paying attention to (and the ones that are mostly just headlines), including KiwiSaver rules, lending restrictions, and what a capital gains tax could realistically mean.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!

Follow me everywhere!

Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ

Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Why does it feel like you’re always spending more than you meant to?

No, you’re not imagining it. Modern consumer life is full of supermarket tricks, subscription traps, hidden fees, dark patterns, and pricing tactics designed to get more money out of you.

Luckily Consumer senior investigative journalist Chris Schulz knows all the psychological tricks companies use to drive overspending, and the practical ways you can fight back.

From supermarket layouts and loyalty pricing, to hard-to-cancel subscriptions, hidden online fees, insurance costs, and power bills, this episode breaks down why saving money now can feel like a full-time job, and where you can actually make real gains.

We’re talking:

1. what “dark patterns” are, and how online shopping traps you into spending more
2. how subscription traps and hard-to-cancel services cost you money
3. the best ways to compare supermarket prices and cut your grocery bill
4. how to review your insurance and avoid overpaying
5. why almost everyone could save money on their power bill

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

Follow me everywhere!

Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ

Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz

TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz

Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Just as we were hoping for a break in the cost of living, fuel and food prices are heading up again. So how can you protect your cash, and find savings everywhere from insurance, to KiwiSaver, to your subscriptions?

A replay of the conversation with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ’s Afternoons.

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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

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KiwiSaver is changing, and you need to know what that means for your money.

The Government has changed the rules, and they’re coming in to force now.

Your own contribution rates, government contribution rules, and employer payments are all shifting. And depending on your income, age, or how your salary package works, the impact on your take-home pay could be very different.

In this episode of Ask the Experts, Kristin Sutherland, strategic coach at EnableMe, helps us figure out what these changes mean in reality.

We’re talking:

1. The key KiwiSaver rule changes you need to know
2. How higher contribution rates could affect your take-home pay
3. Whether the employer contribution changes are actually a boost or just a reshuffle
4. Why higher earners lose the government contribution
5. The biggest KiwiSaver mistakes people make during rule changes
6. How to review your fund, fees, and settings so your KiwiSaver works harder for you

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] and you might feature on our next episode!

Follow me everywhere!

Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ

Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz

TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz

Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

What would it take to quit your job, take your kids out of school, and spend a year travelling Australia in a caravan?

For Kellie Dawson, it took years of careful planning, property investing, budgeting, and building enough financial freedom to press pause on normal life and ask a bigger question: what do we actually want?

In this episode, Kellie shares:

- how they planned a year of family travel around Australia

- what financial freedom means to them in real life

- how they used property investing helped build financial freedom

- why they came home rethinking money, careers, and what matters most

If you’ve ever dreamed of quitting the grind, creating passive income, travelling with your family, or building financial independence in a way that supports your real life, this episode is for you.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to https://www.odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

Follow me everywhere!

Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ

Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz

TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz

Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe

Become a confident sharemarket investor by signing up to the Market Memo newsletter https://www.francescook.co.nz/invest

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MakingCentsPodcast #InvestingPodcast #MoneyPodcast #FinancialFreedom

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock