Making Cents

By Frances Cook

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 ... more

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FAQs about Making Cents:

How many episodes does Making Cents have?

The podcast currently has 192 episodes available.

Making Cents episodes:

November 20, 2025 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
How to figure out what type of investment suits your goals
What to look for (and avoid) when comparing funds
How to see what’s actually inside your investments
Why fees matter more than you think, and how to check yours

It’s everything you need to start investing with confidence, no spreadsheets, no jargon, just smart strategies that actually work.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
57min
November 19, 2025 "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 tomorrow?

Frances Cook talks to Will White, General Manager of Retail & Reverse Mortgages at Heartland Bank, about how modern reverse mortgages in New Zealand actually work, what protections exist, and how to decide whether using your home equity makes sense.

They cover the emotional side too, including the guilt many retirees feel about spending their own money, and how to find balance between financial security and quality of life.

If you’ve ever wondered how to free up cash in retirement, whether a reverse mortgage is safe, or how to enjoy your hard-earned home without risking the kids’ inheritance, this episode breaks it all down.

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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
17min
November 16, 2025 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 pantry that cuts costs and waste
- Use budget-friendly substitutes that actually work
- Cook healthy, affordable meals that still feel special
- Swap food guilt for pride and progress in the kitchen
This is real-world advice for anyone trying to stretch a grocery budget without sacrificing flavour or enjoyment.
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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
#makingcents #francescook #CostOfLivingCrisis #BudgetMeals #CheapEats #CheapRecipes #FamilyMeals #FoodHacks #SaveMoneyOnGroceries #StaplePantry #LunchboxIdeas #NZFoodPrices #RealisticCooking
This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Chapters
00:00 – The brutal supermarket tap: why food feels so expensive
01:36 – Designing affordable meals that still feel special
04:18 – Pantry staples that keep prices low
06:30 – Cooking with allergies without the expensive substitutes
11:37 – Time vs money: when to cook from scratch vs buy it
16:41 – Christmas, hosting and lowering expectations
18:01 – Can cheap food still be good for you?
21:30 – Cheap vs expensive: does pricier really taste better?
25:51 – Bulk-up tricks: bread in meatballs & cutting food waste
31:43 – Lunchbox treats on a budget & that viral lemon cake
33:16 – Food prices in NZ (and around the world) aren’t okay
39:17 – Don’t normalise the cost of living crisis
41:22 – Two big takeaways: staple pantry & dropping the pressure
42:48 – Outro
...more
44min
November 13, 2025 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.

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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
7min
November 12, 2025 “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 into long-term financial security.

They unpack how to prioritise between paying down the mortgage, building an emergency fund, and improving your home, plus smart ways to use a revolving credit account to keep flexibility while cutting interest.

If you’ve ever wondered what to do after receiving a cash gift, inheritance, or bonus, this episode will show you how to make every dollar count, avoid the “easy come, easy go” trap, and set yourself up for the future.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
16min
November 09, 2025 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 savings.

In this episode, financial journalist Frances Cook talks to Barry Coates from Mindful Money about how to find out exactly where your KiwiSaver cash is going, and how to shift it somewhere better.

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

It’s easier than you think, it doesn’t hurt your returns, and it could be your most powerful vote yet.
Because you really can get rich without selling your soul.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1h 2min
November 06, 2025 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?

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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
18min
November 05, 2025 “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 know before diving into commercial property.

They break down how the commercial property market compares to residential, what really drives returns and risk, and why things like tenant quality, lease length, and economic trends matter far more than location or school zones.

This episode shows you how commercial property investing works in New Zealand, what it costs to get started, and whether it could actually be your next move.

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, 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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
17min
November 02, 2025Overcoming 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.

Claire shares the hard-won lessons behind her career; from driving boxes of candles around the country, to running Ecoya, and now launching Bowie, an at-home microneedling and skincare startup she funded after selling her family home.

This conversation covers:
Overcoming the fear of failure in business and life
Rebuilding confidence after losing money
Investing in yourself and starting again
Entrepreneurship and leadership in New Zealand
Turning anxiety into action and using fear as motivation

Even after a $100k setback, you can still build back stronger.

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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
52min
October 30, 2025 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.

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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
8min

FAQs about Making Cents:

How many episodes does Making Cents have?

The podcast currently has 192 episodes available.