Making Cents

The money world feels like it’s falling apart, but underneath the doom and gloom, is New Zealand’s economy actually on the brink of its best 30 years?

Between high petrol prices, food bills, and a housing downturn, everyday life feels tough. Yet for the first time in modern history, house prices have dropped 30% in Auckland without dragging the wider economy into a deep recession. We are moving from a country that borrows to an economy that saves and invests - and that changes the game.

Sam Stubbs, founder of Simplicity, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to challenge the story we've been telling ourselves about our money. Sam shares why New Zealand is at a major turning point, how KiwiSaver is quietly transforming our wealth, and the simple shifts we need to make to stop copying a poverty mindset.

In this episode:
Why Auckland house prices dropped 30% without crashing the economy
Borrowing vs investing: why saving our way to prosperity beats debt
The Australia comparison: how a $1 trillion KiwiSaver pool could wipe out our infrastructure deficit
Why KiwiSaver must become compulsory with rising contributions
The side-pocketing rule: unlocking billions of KiwiSaver funds for local startups and high-growth businesses
Why the best investment you can ever make during tough times is in yourself

Whether you are feeling squeezed by the cost of living or wondering where the New Zealand economy is really heading, this episode breaks down what you need to know to take control of your financial future on your own terms.

Election day is almost here, and money is top of mind for a lot of us.
In this special live edition of Making Cents, I’m joined by:
Claire Matthews from Massey University
Michael Gorin from EnableMe
Dean Anderson, Founder and CEO of Kernel
Georgia Grange, Head of NZ at Revolut

We dig into the financial issues on the table, what the parties are promising, and whether those fixes could actually work.
KiwiSaver: is the political focus deserved, and what should change as it nears its 20th birthday?
The cost of living squeeze: record fuel prices, rising unemployment and inflation, and what you can do now
Investing through uncertainty: are there opportunities amid the chaos?
Competition in banking and supermarkets: will the proposed policies move the needle?
The property market: Auckland’s average price dips under $1m for the first time since 2020, and what a two-speed economy means for building wealth
What the politicians are getting right, and the missed opportunities.

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

Follow me everywhere!
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz
TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz

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

Do you really need $1 million to retire? Scary headlines say so, and that falling short means facing cold, miserable years ahead.

But for most people, that massive benchmark is unhelpful, daunting, and causes people to give up before they even start.

Katie Wesney, Head Strategic Coach at EnableMe, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to dismantle the $1 million retirement myth and help you find your actual number.

In this episode:
The $1 million retirement myth: why one-size-fits-all numbers cause people to freeze
Finding your baseline: how to audit three months of bank statements and strip out temporary costs
The cost of kids and mortgages in retirement: why paying down debt early unlocks your plan
Cash flow leaks: how cutting $10,000 of yearly waste saves you $250,000 across retirement
Savings vs investing: why KiwiSaver and growth assets are essential to bridge the gap
Why 65 isn't a financial cliff: using investment buckets to keep your money growing

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

We grow enough food in New Zealand to feed 40 million people - eight times our own population. So why does your weekly grocery bill feel like it’s eating your entire paycheque?

Angela Clifford, CEO of Eat New Zealand, joins Frances Cook on Making Cents to unpack why our food model feels broken and how everyday eaters hold the power to fix it. Living on a North Canterbury permaculture farm where her family produces roughly 80% of what they consume, Angela explains why "community sufficiency" beats pure self-reliance, and what simple shifts we can make this week to cut costs and take back control of our food.

In this episode:
Feeding 40 million vs food insecurity: why a third of Kiwi families are struggling to put food on the table
The financialisation of food: how a system meant to feed us became focused on shareholder returns
Why Kiwi farmers are price-takers, not price-makers, and why the current model doesn't work for growers either
Offshoring our staples: the reality of shipping local fish overseas to be crumbed and sent back
Why fresh food from farmers' markets, local butchers, and green grocers is often cheaper than the supermarket
Resisting the convenience trap: why frictionless delivery apps and supermarket AI cost you more
How to "find your food people"
Why New Zealand needs a dedicated Food Minister and a national food security strategy

Whether you are trying to trim your grocery budget or want to know where your food actually comes from, this episode breaks down practical steps to help you take control of your plate and your money on your own terms.

This episode of Making Cents is proudly supported by Odoo. Go to http://odoo.com/r/hpl now and try it for free, for 15 days.

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

Two years into running Making Cents as an independent business, I sit down with the TVNZ Business Breakfast team to talk about what I got right, what went wrong, and what I wish I had known before I jumped.

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

Follow me everywhere!
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz
TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknz

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