Making Cents

Could the home of the future be the size of a carpark? The government is talking about scrapping minimum apartment size rules, and one Making Cents listener wants to know if that's a housing fix or a housing trap.

Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz has fresh data to help us figure this out.

We get into whether micro apartments could actually ease the housing shortage, what banks will and won't lend on when it comes to small apartments, and who this would most likely impact, from first home buyers, to investors, or students.

Plus: how New Zealand's apartment market compares to the rest of the world, and whether our obsession with the quarter-acre dream is starting to shift.

In this episode:
Could scrapping minimum apartment sizes help first home buyers?
What do banks actually lend on when it comes to small apartments?
Are micro apartments a smart investment or a future problem?
How New Zealand's property culture compares globally
Who stands to gain, and who should be cautious

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

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

Adele Holland cooked for billionaires on private jets. Now she helps real people eat well for $50 a week, and she reckons the skills transfer better than you'd think.

Adele is a Michelin-trained chef who spent years cooking in Swiss chalets and on superyachts before walking away from the waste and opulence of that world.

Now, as the creator behind Dishes with Del, she's on a mission to make budget meals genuinely delicious.

In this episode, we get into how to meal plan on a budget, the cheap pantry staples that do the heavy lifting, how to stretch expensive proteins further than you thought possible, and the small chef tricks that make a real difference to your grocery bill and your food waste. Think feta brine, coconut cream ice cubes, and frozen soup bases you can make from scraps.

Whether you're trying to cut your supermarket spend, reduce food waste, or just get more interesting meals on the table for less, this one's for you.

In this episode:
How to meal plan for the week on $50
Budget pantry staples every kitchen needs
How to reduce food waste with simple chef tricks
How to stretch meat and protein on a tight budget
Why planning is the unsexy secret to saving money on groceries

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.

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

Apartments and townhouses are selling for less than people paid for them, and in record numbers.
Frances Cook joins RNZ Nights to break down why smaller properties are taking a bigger hit than the rest of the property market and what it means for first home buyers, investors, and owners in negative equity.

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Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

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If you've ever wondered why some people build real wealth on ordinary incomes, while others save for decades and still feel behind, this episode is the answer.
Financial journalist Frances Cook breaks down the relationship between money and time, and why getting this right changes everything about how you invest, where your money goes, and how hard it can work for you.
In this episode:
The rule of 100 - how to figure out how much to invest vs keep in cash
Now money, soon money, and later money - the simple framework for organising your finances
Why your emergency fund needs to stay in cash (even when it feels like a missed opportunity)
Compounding returns explained simply - and why $10k will eventually feel small
The rule of 72 - how to calculate how fast your money doubles

Whether you're just starting your investing journey or want to make sure your money is working as hard as possible, this episode gives you a practical framework you can actually use.

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

What if the chaos of parenthood is actually building your business brain?
Renata Wiles was posting videos on the internet, with no business background, no tech background, and no real following.
Now she's the founder of Roam with Kids, an app helping New Zealand parents find family-friendly places to go.
In this episode, Frances talks with Renata about the messy reality of going from frustrated mum to tech founder.
They’re talking:
Why overwhelmed parents spend more, and the surprisingly simple fix
The KiwiSaver gap for parents
How to turn a parenting pain point into a business
Building multiple income streams so one bad month doesn't sink you
Why you don't need a following, a business degree, or a perfect plan to start

If you've ever had a business idea but talked yourself out of it, this episode is the nudge you needed.

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