Growing older is expensive - much more expensive than most people realise. 

When you or a loved one either decides to move into aged care or is forced to do so, the Ministry of Social Development will quickly swoop in to flip through all their finances. 

Any assets, gifted funds, trusts, even living rent free - it's all looked at and impacts their chances of government-subsidised care. 

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Getting fit and healthy is just about throwing on your running shoes and making a salad. 

The key to sticking with a workout routine, is finding the right sort of exercise for you so that you don't get sick of it. 

We've seen another wave of fitness trends recently, with Hyrox gaining popularity, 75 Hard, and cold plunges among others. 

We'll often overlook these as just being the current thing, maybe even a fad that will boost your dopamine for a week or two before fading into the abyss of the Ab Roller and other 'As Seen On TV' trends. 

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Moa Point has been testing as non-compliant for all but two months of the last two years. 

The signs were there, but no one seemed to raise concern before the wastewater plant started pumping raw sewage into the south coast of Wellington. 

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A new report this week found nearly 90% of Auckland primary school say there's an increasing number of new entrants starting school without bare basic skills like being toilet trained and talking properly.

These are 5 year olds who are otherwise capable, but some stage of their early childhood seems to have been neglected - they can't even identify the letters of their name or hold a pencil. 

As harsh as it may be, the blame does have to land somewhere. 

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Those in the market to buy a new home either know or will learn very quickly, that an agent is essential in the process. 

Sure, we can search agency websites and windows ourselves, or scroll through OneRoof after work every day - but we're doing ourselves a disservice if we don't have an agent keeping an eye out for a place with the right metrics for us. 

Here's the problem - these agents legally work for the seller. 

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This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Taxpayers' Union Director Jordan Williams and National Fieldays Society CEO Richard Lindroos, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was. 

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Relationships cost money. 

It's not just about date nights at expensive restaurants, fancy shoes, or a new watch for Valentine's Day. 

It's moving in together, splitting the power bill, signing on to the rent. At what point in the relationship should you join your finances, and how should you go about it? 

Then there's the other side of the relationship - the part no one tends to plan for. The end of it. 

Are prenups just for the ultra-wealthy, or should we all have gotten one? 

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There's a fairly universal amount of food people should be eating every day. 

It varies based on things like age and height - but for the most part, most adults should be aiming for a certain number of calories and macros. 

But when you start getting a bit more active, working out more regularly or making changes to a sedentary lifestyle, you'll find yourself feeling more hungry, more often.

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From today, New Zealanders will be able to get prescriptions that won't need to be renewed through their GPs for a whole year. 

The change will impact those with long-term conditions like asthma and epilepsy. 

GPs will decide on a case by case basis whether it's safe to prescribe a medication for the full 12 months, and patients will no longer have to see their GP every 3 months for a new script. 

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It's Waitangi Day this Friday and after opting to spend the day at a marae in Akaroa last year, this year Christopher Luxon will be in town to meet with iwi. 

A recent RNZ-Reid poll found 62% of kiwis think it's important for the prime minister to be in Waitangi for Waitangi Day, but previous PMs have all had different approaches. 

Ngapuhi chairperson Mane Tahere joins to preview the week ahead. 

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