Making Cents

With the OCR on the rise and inflation heading up again, Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain why the safest place for your money depends entirely on when you need it and why bank accounts are not always the answer.

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Free Power Forever? The Real Cost, Payback Time, and Battery Truth on Solar in NZ
18 months ago, I spent $89,000 on home solar and an electric car. I told you about it, and was flooded with questions on how this could work for other people.
(You can listen to the previous episode from 1 April, titled "I Spent $89,000 on Solar And Electric Car In NZ… Was It Worth It?")
This episode is the follow-up, answering every question from the practical (does my roof even work?) to the financial (do I actually need a $10,000 battery?).

I’ll break down:
Would solar work on your house, and what it takes to make solar power work
How to run the numbers to find out how long solar would take to pay itself off. I’ve got a three-figure back-of-envelope calculation anyone can do with last year's power bills
Do you need a battery to make solar power worthwhile?
What to do if money's tight, or you rent
Where solar power is heading next, including balcony solar and virtual power plants

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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

Why do so many high performers end up exhausted and burned out?
Mindset coach Sarah Robb has spent years working in this area, and says that unfortunately, many of us burn ourselves out, usually trying to prove we're good enough.
At 26, Sarah had lost both her parents, in difficult circumstances.
What she built afterwards became the foundation for how she now coaches high achievers, business owners, and ambitious women through burnout, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt - without losing their drive.

In this episode:
How to stop burnout without giving up ambition
Why energy management matters more than time management
The hidden reasons we hold onto limiting beliefs
How to set boundaries and say no without guilt
How to build self-compassion (not just self-love)
Why presence, not productivity, is the antidote to overwhelm

If you've ever felt successful on the outside but exhausted on the inside, this conversation is for you.

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.

Follow me everywhere!
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZ
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz
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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
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 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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Join the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribe
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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!

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