PodcastsBusinessMaking Cents

Making Cents

Frances Cook
Making Cents
Latest episode

254 episodes

  • Making Cents

    A Michelin-Trained Chef's Insider Secrets To Saving Money On Your Food

    31/05/2026 | 30 mins.
    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.

    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

    Are Small Homes A Bad Buy?

    28/05/2026 | 13 mins.
    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.

    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, or

    Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

    #MakingCents #FrancesCook #ShareMarket #MarketVolatility #Bitcoin #Gold #Silver #AI #BigTech #Investing #NZEconomy #PropertyInvesting #MarketCorrection
  • Making Cents

    The Money Timeline That Lets Normal People Build Wealth

    27/05/2026 | 27 mins.
    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
    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 Overwhelmed Parents End Up Spending More Money, And How To Fix It

    24/05/2026 | 54 mins.
    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
  • Making Cents

    KiwiSaver Changes On The Cards Again - Are They Worth It?

    21/05/2026 | 6 mins.
    Frances Cook joins the TVNZ Breakfast team to crunch the numbers on a proposed policy that would automatically enrol newborns into KiwiSaver with a $1,000 government contribution and what that could actually be worth by the time they retire.
    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 Newsletter sign up
More Business podcasts
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!
Podcast website

Listen to Making Cents, CommSec Market Update and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features