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Making Cents episodes
- “We’re paying for private school, two dream homes, and we’re out of cash.” Mailbag episode
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, not just net worth, determines your financial stability, and how to fix a lifestyle that’s quietly burning through your safety net.
From whether to sell shares or take out a mortgage again, to tough calls around private school fees and property priorities, this episode gets real about trade-offs, structure, and sustainability.
If you’ve ever wondered how people with big assets still end up broke on paper, or you’re feeling the pinch of a high-cost lifestyle yourself, this one’s essential listening.
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!
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
19 min - My lazy investing strategy, account hacks, and what real financial freedom looks like: Your questions, answered
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 stress
- Whether to pay off debt, boost KiwiSaver, or start investing first
- When to sell your shares, and when to hold your nerve
- How to rebuild financially after hitting reset
- Plus, the truth about credit card rewards, lifestyle creep, and my own financial freedom number
Perfect for anyone juggling mortgages, investments, or just trying to make smarter everyday money moves.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
38 min - Jobs, interest rates, and real strategies for surviving New Zealand's ‘grumpy’ economy WEBINAR REPLAYIf 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 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 economist Shamubeel Eaqub, Interest.co.nz economics and politics reporter Dan Brunskill, and ANZ senior economist Miles Workman.They’re ready to break down what’s actually going on, and what you need to know to protect your money, and ride out the storm.We’ll debate:The Reserve Bank’s surprise OCR cut, and whether more is comingWhether NZ’s housing market is bouncing back or still heading down.The truth about job security and the real state of the labour market.The smartest money moves right now, for mortgages, savings, and KiwiSaver.55 min
- Mailbag: “How much should I save, when my job is shaky?”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 keep your buffer; a high-interest account, term deposit, or offset mortgage?If you’ve ever paused your investing to “build up the savings” or felt unsure what enough really means, this episode will give you a clear, practical framework to find your financial safety zone.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/FrancesCookNZInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknzTikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknzJoin the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe#makingcents #francescook #EmergencyFund #SavingsBuffer #JobSecurity #BudgetingTips #NZFinance #HighInterestSavings #TermDeposits #OffsetMortgage #RevolvingCredit #CreditCardDebt #Compounding #HeartlandBankThis podcast was filmed & produced by FanaticalsVideo editing & content production by Lana ByrneAudio engineering by Tash ChittockChapters00:00 - Introduction01:01 - Can you save too much?01:46 - How big should your buffer be?03:55 - Budget reality: find the fat05:08 - Debt vs saving—what first?07:21 - Next steps11:24 - Offset & revolving: pros & pitfalls16:43 - Outro18 min
- Financiallly free in just 11 years, with The Happy Saver
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 in New Zealand (without earning six figures)
- The power of tracking net worth and using KiwiSaver wisely
- How index funds and compounding growth create true passive income
- Why “work optional” freedom is more achievable than most Kiwis think
If you’ve ever wondered how ordinary New Zealanders can retire early (or just get financially free, faster) this episode is your blueprint.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
59 min - Why 'perfect balance' can wreck your finances
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.
Links
Follow 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.
10 min - The $1 trillion time bomb: Why Kiwi families are blowing the inheritance conversation
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 consequences when families avoid them.
The truth is that most New Zealand families have no plan for what happens when assets are passed on.
Whether the estate is large or small, failing to talk about money, wills, and expectations can lead to legal mess, financial loss, and long-term family rifts.
We explore:
- Why inheritance is about more than money, it’s about love, fairness, and recognition
- The real-world emotional and financial fallout of poor estate planning
- Why avoiding the hard conversations now can destroy relationships later
- Where families should start when they realise it’s time to talk
If you want to protect your family and your finances, this episode is your must-listen guide to having the inheritance conversation before it’s too late.
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
15 min - "I nannied for billionaires, it changed my entire money outlook”: building a business on your own terms, with Hannah Koumakis
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 your financial systems need to be even sharper to hold it all together?
In this episode we talk about:
- How to build multiple income streams without chaos
- The financial systems that make it all work
- Why emotional resilience matters as much as budgeting
- The tough times, and why she nearly gave it all up
- What the future of work really looks like for your bank account
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
54 min - "Shock therapy" OCR cut, job pain, mortgage gain? Here's what's really going on
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.
Links
Follow 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.
7 min - Mailbag: “Can I find an undervalued suburb, or was my parents’ success just luck?”
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 trends
- What infrastructure, transport links, and buyer demand reveal about the next boom suburb
- Why some “bargains” stay cheap, and how to tell the difference with ones that are about to soar in price
- Smart, practical tips for first-home buyers chasing value in New Zealand’s housing market
If you’ve ever wondered how to find the best suburb to buy your first home, or whether “undervalued areas” really exist anymore, this episode has your answers.
Send in your own questions, by emailing [email protected]
Links
Follow Frances Cook on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week.
This podcast was filmed and produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
17 min
About Making Cents
From the publisher's feed
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 Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple.
Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!
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