Making Cents

Opposites attract, until it comes to money.

This week’s listener says she’s a saver, her partner is a spender, and every attempt to “get serious” about their finances ends the same way: frustration, guilt, splurging out of spite, and a plan that falls apart by March.

Instead of moving forward, they’re cancelling each other out, and it’s starting to wear them both down.

In this Ask the Experts episode, EnableMe head strategic coach Katie Wesney breaks down why saver–spender dynamics are so common, and why money fights are usually about values, security, and behaviour, not just dollars.

We talk about:

Why saver–spender couples clash, even when they want the same life

How different money personalities (savers, spenders, upholders, questioners, rebels) approach rules, goals, and plans

Why behaviour matters more than the “perfect” financial strategy

How starting with a shared vision changes the conversation

Practical systems that reduce friction, including automation and separate “no-questions-asked” spending

How couples can use their differences as strengths instead of sabotage

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

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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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #SaverVsSpender #CouplesAndMoney #MoneyInRelationships #MoneyPersonalities #MoneyMindset #BudgetingAsACouple #JointAccounts #FinancialAccountability #MortgageTips #PayOffMortgageFaster #FinancialFreedom

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:09 Listener letter: opposite money styles
00:01:48 "Money fights aren’t about money” (trust, values, security)
00:03:14 How to start the conversation: vision, numbers, timeframes
00:04:24 Money personality types: saver / shopper / plodder
00:05:34 Gretchen Rubin tendencies: upholder, obliger, questioner, rebel
00:11:08 Saver vs shopper
00:13:24 Systems for couples: joint vs separate money + autonomy
00:15:58 Where to from here?
00:16:19 Outro

Why do so many smart, motivated people struggle to stick to money goals?

You set the intention to save more, invest properly, or finally get organised, and then, a few weeks or months later, it falls apart.

It’s not that you don’t care or don’t know what to do. It’s that your mindset and financial habits get in the way.

In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook is joined by Dom Vettise, a clinical and performance psychologist who specialises in helping people move from “pretty good” to world-class performance.

Dom has worked in some of the most high-pressure environments imaginable, including with Olympic athletes, New Zealand Rugby, and the All Whites. These people who simply have to perform when the stakes are highest.

What’s surprising is how directly that same psychology applies to everyday money decisions.

The mental habits that determine whether an athlete performs under pressure are the same ones that shape your financial habits, from sticking to a savings plan, to following an investment strategy, to breaking the cycle of “I’ll start again next month.”

In this conversation, we unpack:

Why mindset matters more than motivation when it comes to money

How stress and pressure sabotage financial decision-making

The role of perfectionism in derailing progress

Why self-sabotage shows up just as you’re starting to do well

Practical ways to take control of your mental habits so your money goals actually stick

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #Investing #SavingMoney #GoalSetting #Mindset #HighPerformance #SportsPsychology #PerformancePsychology #NewZealand #Olympics

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:12 Meet Dom Vittice: from forensics to Olympic psychology
00:03:20 What it's really like working with elite athletes
00:07:26 Success leaves clues: learning from what goes right
00:11:29 The framework: understand me, be me, stay me
00:13:32 Reframing pressure: distress vs eustress
00:16:44 Breathwork and staying present under pressure
00:22:45 Mental filtering and disqualifying the positive
00:24:09 Staying motivated on long-term goals
00:28:54 The MILK reflection tool: memory, improvement, learning, courage
00:31:22 Courage requires fear: normalizing the hard stuff
00:40:56 Radical self-responsibility without self-blame
00:43:57 Self-compassion vs self-criticism in setbacks
00:45:40 ACT framework: acknowledge, calm, towards
00:47:44 The number one skill: attention
00:50:06 Perfectionism and good enough
00:52:28 Outro

Time to talk about what will actually move the needle for you in 2026, and help you feel more confident with your money.

Whether it’s property, investing, KiwiSaver, or just feeling calmer about the decisions you’re making, we’re covering the things you actually need to know.

We’ll be talking about what an election year really means for your money, how to think about the economy as it starts to turn, where people accidentally trip up during this phase, and how to set yourself up so your money feels easier, not harder, in 2026

Frances Cook brings in her favourite experts to tackle the different areas of your money that you should know more about:

realestate.co.nz's Vanessa Williams, to answer your burning questions about the property market

TVNZ business reporter Jason Walls, for the big picture on the economy and political forces in play this year

EnableMe head strategic coach Katie Wesney, for the investing and KiwiSaver insights you need to know

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

Money panic doesn’t always come from not having enough. Sometimes it comes from suddenly having far more than you ever expected - $8 million more, to be exact.

This week’s Ask the Experts letter comes from a couple who spent 40 years dairy farming, living with constant debt and tight cashflow. Now they’ve sold the farm and their financial reality has flipped overnight.

A dream problem? Maybe. But sudden wealth is notoriously risky.

Will White from Heartland Bank is in the expert hotseat, to talk about how you protect a huge cash balance, avoid rushing into bad decisions, and turn a once-in-a-lifetime payout into a secure, comfortable retirement.

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #MoneyMindset #WealthManagement #RetirementPlanning #FinancialAdvisor #TermDeposit #Windfall #SuddenWealth #ScamAwareness

They say that the first $100,000 invested is the hardest milestone, but also most important. Once you’re there, compounding starts to do more of the heavy lifting. But getting there, well, you’ll have to scrap for it.

Today’s guest, Jane Joo, reached that milestone by age 25.

So how did she actually do it?

This episode cuts through the noise to unpack what works in the real world.

No trust fund, no extreme deprivation, and no finance degree. Just consistent habits, deliberate choices, and a clear goal.

Jane shares how she started investing while still a university student, why she focused on small, regular contributions instead of waiting to feel “ready,” and how she balanced earning more with spending intentionally. We talk about avoiding lifestyle creep, negotiating fixed expenses, side hustles, and what is really took to build her first $100k.

We also dig into her investing approach - from early stock picking to a growing preference for index funds - plus the mindset shifts that helped her stay consistent through market ups and downs.

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

This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

#MakingCents #FrancesCook #Investing #FinancialFreedom #CompoundInterest #IndexFunds #InvestingForBeginners #MoneyMindset #WealthBuilding #SideHustle #LifestyleCreep #SavingsHacks