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Making Cents

Making Cents

By: Frances Cook
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About this listen

 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!Frances Cook Economics Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Supermarket Tricks, Insurance Hacks & Subscription Traps: How to Stop Overpaying

    Supermarket Tricks, Insurance Hacks & Subscription Traps: How to Stop Overpaying
    Mar 22 2026

    Why does it feel like you’re always spending more than you meant to?

    No, you’re not imagining it. Modern consumer life is full of supermarket tricks, subscription traps, hidden fees, dark patterns, and pricing tactics designed to get more money out of you.


    Luckily Consumer senior investigative journalist Chris Schulz knows all the psychological tricks companies use to drive overspending, and the practical ways you can fight back.


    From supermarket layouts and loyalty pricing, to hard-to-cancel subscriptions, hidden online fees, insurance costs, and power bills, this episode breaks down why saving money now can feel like a full-time job, and where you can actually make real gains.


    We’re talking:

    1. what “dark patterns” are, and how online shopping traps you into spending more
    2. how subscription traps and hard-to-cancel services cost you money
    3. the best ways to compare supermarket prices and cut your grocery bill
    4. how to review your insurance and avoid overpaying
    5. why almost everyone could save money on their power bill


    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

    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


    This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

    Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

    Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • How To Save Your Cash When The Price Of Everything Is Going Up

    How To Save Your Cash When The Price Of Everything Is Going Up
    Mar 19 2026

    Just as we were hoping for a break in the cost of living, fuel and food prices are heading up again. So how can you protect your cash, and find savings everywhere from insurance, to KiwiSaver, to your subscriptions?

    A replay of the conversation with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ’s Afternoons.

    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
    Show More Show Less
    11 mins
  • The KiwiSaver Change that could save you $21,500

    The KiwiSaver Change that could save you $21,500
    Mar 18 2026

    KiwiSaver is changing, and you need to know what that means for your money.

    The Government has changed the rules, and they’re coming in to force now.

    Your own contribution rates, government contribution rules, and employer payments are all shifting. And depending on your income, age, or how your salary package works, the impact on your take-home pay could be very different.

    In this episode of Ask the Experts, Kristin Sutherland, strategic coach at EnableMe, helps us figure out what these changes mean in reality.

    We’re talking:

    1. The key KiwiSaver rule changes you need to know
    2. How higher contribution rates could affect your take-home pay
    3. Whether the employer contribution changes are actually a boost or just a reshuffle
    4. Why higher earners lose the government contribution
    5. The biggest KiwiSaver mistakes people make during rule changes
    6. How to review your fund, fees, and settings so your KiwiSaver works harder for you

    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


    This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals

    Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne

    Audio engineering by Tash Chittock
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
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