PodcastsBusinessMaking Cents

Making Cents

Frances Cook
Making Cents
Latest episode

266 episodes

  • Making Cents

    How to Invest for Financial Freedom - WEBINAR REPLAY

    25/06/2026 | 49 mins.
    Financial freedom sounds great in theory, but what does it actually take to get there as a normal person?
    In this webinar, Frances Cook is joined by Sheppard & Ormsby chartered accountant Bronwyn Candish and EnableMe national coaching lead Katie Wesney to break down what financial freedom really means, how to find the money to invest, the biggest mistakes people make along the way, and one thing you can do this week to get started
    Follow me everywhere!
    Facebook / Frances Cook - Journalist
    Instagram / Frances | Money | Investing (@francescooknz) • Instagram profile
    TikTok / Frances Cook on TikTok
    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
  • Making Cents

    Why "Being Normal" Is The Most Expensive Thing You Can Choose

    24/06/2026 | 28 mins.
    Being weird with money is the smartest thing you can do, to get financial freedom.
    Most of us are following the same money playbook, and it’s not working.
    Around 30% of New Zealanders don't have $1,000 in savings, and over 60% couldn't cover a real emergency.
    Frances Cook, financial journalist and host of Making Cents, shares exactly how embracing "weird" money habits helped her build financial freedom, and how you can do the same.
    In this episode:
    Why the standard approach to money keeps so many of us stuck, and what to do instead
    The hedonic treadmill: the psychology trick that's draining your wallet
    How to figure out what actually makes you happy (it's probably cheaper than you think)
    The secondhand challenge that changed Frances's finances
    Why a cheaper daily life and big one-off experiences beats an expensive lifestyle every time
    How to stop spending on what other people want, and start spending on what YOU want

    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
  • Making Cents

    What Accountants Wish You Knew About the IRD

    21/06/2026 | 34 mins.
    Many New Zealanders are overpaying tax, missing refunds they're entitled to, and leaving money on the table, simply because the system is confusing and nobody explained the rules.

    In this episode of Making Cents, chartered certified accountant Baqir Hussain, founder Finex Accounting, breaks down exactly how to stop losing money to the tax system and start making it work in your favour.

    We talk:
    The single biggest mistake Kiwis make with the IRD, and how it turns small issues into massive tax debt
    How New Zealand's progressive tax system actually works (and why you should always take that pay rise)
    Surprise tax bills: the most common causes and how to avoid them
    What salary earners can legitimately claim back, including income protection insurance, donations, and investment costs
    Working for Families: who qualifies, how to backdate claims up to four years, and how one family recovered $15,000 they didn't know they were owed
    Home office deductions for self-employed workers and contractors
    Why tax threshold creep means most Kiwis are quietly paying more tax every year

    Whether you're a salary earner, raising a family, or running a small business, there are straightforward steps you can take right now to reduce your tax bill — legally, and simply.

    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
  • Making Cents

    Why Being a Loyal Customer Costs You Thousands

    18/06/2026 | 6 mins.
    Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to explain the loyalty tax costing New Zealanders hundreds of dollars a year on power, insurance and banking, and the simple habit that can win it back without even switching providers.
    Follow me everywhere!
    Facebook / Frances Cook - Journalist
    Instagram / Frances | Money | Investing (@francescooknz) • Instagram profile
    TikTok / Frances Cook on TikTok
    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
  • Making Cents

    What Actually Gets You a Better Price for Your House

    17/06/2026 | 19 mins.
    You're about to spend thousands getting your house ready to sell. Professional staging. A photographer. Maybe a lick of paint on the fence.

    But in a buyer's market with interest rates climbing, how do you know what actually moves the needle for getting the house sold?

    Vanessa Williams from http://realestate.co.nz is back in the hot seat with the actual data on what's working right now.

    We get into whether professional staging shows up in the sale price, which presentation upgrades are genuinely worth it and which ones aren't, what http://realestate.co.nz sees in listing performance when photos are good versus average, and whether the ROI on all of this changes when buyers have more choice.

    If you're about to list and wondering where to spend and where to save, this one's for you.

    In this episode:
    Does professional staging actually increase your property sale price?
    Which house upgrades are worth it, and which aren't?
    Does better photography get more home buyers through the door?
    How to sell a house in a buyer's market
    What sellers can do themselves vs where to spend the money
    The mistakes sellers make that cost them thousands

    If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, send it through to ask@francescook.co.nz and you might feature on our next episode!
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About Making Cents
The podcast for people who want financial freedom, without giving up their coffee. That means it's time to make the money world make cents. Join Frances Cook, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, to talk about the proven ways to invest your way to financial independence, buy your first home, or just get your spending under control. Every Monday we have the week's feature interview, with someone who's done something interesting with their money. From paying off a mountain of debt, or investing for financial independence, or starting a new business, these are the ordinary people making the extraordinary possible. On Thursday we have Ask the Experts, where industry insiders answer your questions on the money world. From earning more in your career, to investing, or sticking to a budget, they'll help make money simple. Every now and then you'll get a bonus episode too, but the fun of those is that you never know when they're coming!
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Making Cents: Podcasts in Family