Making Cents

A breakup doesn’t just end a relationship. It can blow up the entire financial plan you built together.
For many people in their 40s and 50s, that means suddenly having to make huge money decisions alone, about the house, retirement, and what rebuilding your life actually looks like from here.
In this episode of Ask the Experts, Will White from Heartland Bank is in the hot seat to help a listener facing exactly that situation.
After a 10-year relationship ends, our listener is trying to decide whether to buy their ex-partner out of the family home, sell and downsize, or walk away and start again somewhere new. The numbers are tight. The lifestyle trade-offs are real. And with retirement getting closer, the stakes feel higher than ever.
In this episode, Frances and Will cover:
The biggest financial pressure points after a breakup in your 40s or 50s
Whether buying out an ex-partner is a smart move, or a financial trap
When selling and downsizing might actually put you in a stronger position
The hidden financial risks of stretching your mortgage too far
Lifestyle trade-offs: space, pets, privacy, and quality of life
Whether getting a flatmate or AirBnB could make the numbers work
How to rebuild financial stability when retirement is closer than you planned

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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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

You can cancel subscriptions, ditch takeaway coffee, and trim your budget… but you still have to eat. And the way most of us shop for food? It’s costing us more than it should.
In this episode of Making Cents, Frances Cook talks to Michal Garvey, founder of Foodprint, the app that’s redirected millions of dollars’ worth of surplus food from cafés and restaurants into the hands of everyday Kiwis, at a fraction of the price.
But this isn’t just about cheaper meals.
Michal shares a different way to think about food, money, and the cost of living, including the common food budgeting mistake most people don’t realise they’re making, and why it’s leaving money on the table.
We also get into the link between your grocery bill and the survival of small businesses, how much food cafés are actually throwing away each year, and what that waste is really costing them.
Not to mention, what all of this says about New Zealand’s food system, supply chains, and long-term food security?
If you want to spend less on food, eat well, and understand what’s really driving food prices, this episode is for you.
In this episode, we cover:
How to save money on food without cutting quality
The biggest food budgeting mistake most people make
How surplus food apps like Foodprint work
Why cafés throw away so much food (and what it costs them)
The link between cost of living and small business pressure
What’s really going on with food supply and security in New Zealand

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!
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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

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

I spent $89,000 on solar power and an electric car… and it has a better return on investment than the sharemarket.
With electricity prices rising fast, more Kiwis are asking whether solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicles are worth it.
So in this episode of the Making Cents podcast, I break down exactly what happened when I overhauled my home energy setup, including the real costs, the savings, and whether solar power in New Zealand actually stacks up financially.
In this episode, we cover:
The true cost of installing solar panels and a home battery in NZ
How much I’m saving on power (and why my bills are sometimes negative)
Whether solar can actually make you money, or just save it
How green loans (as low as 0–1%) can change the investment maths
Why timing your power usage matters more than selling it back to the grid
How to do this cheaper and smarter than I did

Plus, the practical realities, from power price trends to choosing the right system, avoiding common traps, and figuring out if solar is right for your home.
This isn’t a “go green” pitch. It’s a real-world breakdown of whether solar and EVs are a good financial decision, and how to make the numbers work in your favour.
If you’re trying to cut rising power costs, invest smarter, or future-proof your household expenses, this episode gives you the data and strategy to decide.

Follow me everywhere!
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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

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This podcast was filmed & produced by Fanaticals
Video editing & content production by Lana Byrne
Audio engineering by Tash Chittock

A conflict in the Middle East is already showing up in Kiwi bank accounts, after sending shockwaves through the global economy.
From food to petrol, daily essentials are becoming more expensive. Interest rates and mortgages could be going up. The sharemarket, and therefore your KiwiSaver, is looking wobbly.
So what’s actually going on, and what should you do about it?
In this live Making Cents webinar, Frances Cook is joined by Infometrics economist Brad Olsen, Stuff Money editor Damien Venuto, and Kernel CEO Dean Anderson to break down what the Iran conflict could mean for your money.
We’re talking about:
Why petrol, groceries, and everyday costs are under price pressure
What rising energy prices can mean for inflation and interest rates
Why sharemarkets often wobble during global crises
And most importantly, how to make smart financial decisions in all these areas
Because global events might be outside your control, but how you respond with your money, isn’t.

Join us live for a clear, practical conversation about what’s happening now, what could happen next, and how to protect your finances.

Emma Healey knows about financial transformation - she went from debt and financial stress to building passive income, investing, and designing a life that includes long-term family travel and early retirement goals.
Now known for her practical money advice at mumsmoney.co.nz, Emma didn’t get there through deprivation. Instead, she used behavioural finance strategies, including gamifying her debt payoff, to stay consistent and motivated.
In this conversation, she explains how she:
Paid off $30,000 of debt using the debt snowball method
Rewired her spending habits by replacing the dopamine hit of spending with saving
Built savings and started investing, even on a modest income
Transitioned from property investing to shares and index funds
Designed a values-based money system that prioritises travel, family, and flexibility

Once the debt was gone, everything changed, not just financially, but mentally. Structure created freedom, and financial control opened up options.
That’s how Emma and her family were able to spend a year travelling through Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia, funded not by endless sacrifice, but by intentional money decisions.

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