Making Cents

Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to talk through one of her favourite money hacks, using the second hand market to both clear out the clutter at home and score serious bargains on everything from furniture to kids clothes.
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Are there still good property deals in New Zealand right now? Here's where to actually look.
A listener wrote in with the question everyone's asking: prices are technically down, but they still feel expensive. Interest rates aren't friendly. Rents don't cover the mortgage.
So is property investment still worth it, or has the window already closed?
On this episode of Ask the Experts, Katie Wesney from EnableMe is ready to talk about what changes the calculations on whether property investment is worth it.

In this episode:
New builds vs. existing homes: which one actually protects your money
The real relationship between rental yield and capital gains
Why buying outside your own city can be a smart risk-mitigation move
Which parts of New Zealand currently have the strongest property fundamentals
How to use equity in your own home instead of waiting to save a deposit
The difference between a genuine bargain and a property that's "cheap for a reason"
The one question to ask before buying ANY investment property

If you've been told property investment doesn't work anymore, this episode will change how you think about it.
If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!

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

Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

There's actual behavioural science behind why we freeze up around money, and it's the same science that Mark White-Robinson has built a business around solving.
Mark is the co-founder of Feijoa, an app that rounds up your everyday purchases and tips that spare change straight into your KiwiSaver.
Seven months in, his users are on track to build millions in retirement savings.
The trick to money is usually small habits, over a long time. That's it. But there's a real science to making them stick.
In this episode we get into:
Why doing nothing is usually the worst financial decision you can make
The three things that stop people taking action with money (and how to get around them)
Why 1 million eligible New Zealanders are missing out on over a billion dollars a year in free KiwiSaver contributions
The behavioural tricks built into Feijoa, and how to steal them for your own money life
What open banking has changed for everyday Kiwis

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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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

Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals

Frances Cook joins Jim Mora on RNZ Sunday Morning to cover the latest in money news, from why the job market feels so tough right now and where the work actually is, to the AI investment boom, social media spending traps and whether nicking the hotel soap counts as a financial strategy.

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Your side hustle is making real money. Now what?
Because when the income is real, things are growing, you can suddenly realise the whole operation is held together with sticky tape and good intentions.
Income from a job, income from side work, all of it landing in the same personal account with no clear picture of what's coming in, what's going out, or what any of it means for tax time.
This week on Ask the Experts, James Gibson, head of Revolut Business, walks through exactly what to do when a side hustle outgrows its informal beginnings.
It’s a question that a lot of self-employed New Zealanders will recognise: how do you set up your finances properly when your side hustle starts making serious money?
This episode is proudly supported by Revolut Business. Sign up online and get a one-month free trial at this link https://get.revolut.com/e9Jc/makingcents1 T&Cs apply, subscription fees will apply at the end of the trial, see website for details. Revolut Payments New Zealand Pty Ltd.
This episode covers:
When to open a separate business bank account for your side hustle
How to manage multiple income streams without losing track
What happens if you mix personal and business finances, and why it matters at tax time
How to track self-employed income and expenses without an accountant
Budgeting and cash flow basics for first-time business owners
Simple financial systems for the self-employed that don't require a finance background
How to structure your money when you're employed and self-employed at the same time

If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz 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

Production and video editing by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
Filmed by Fanaticals