Cooking the Books with Frances Cook
457 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsEach week the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk's Cooking the Books tackles a different money problem. Hosted by Frances Cook.
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Episodes
Why is everything so expensive?
June 26, 2022 16:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what's behind the soaring cost of living, and what you can do about it. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you're struggling to pay for, well, anything, you are far from alone right now. You'll see inflation has been hitting the headlines a lot lately, which is just the term for how things cost more as time goes by. The thing is, the cost of living has been increasing far more tha...
Why Mahé Drysdale changed everything to become a financial adviser
June 19, 2022 16:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's Mahé Drysdale on his experience making a big career change, and his top financial tips. Hosted by Frances Cook. I’m sure we’ve all considered it at least once – completely changing careers, to something fresh, new and exciting. A change is as good as a holiday they say, but it’s also a great way to boost your earning power, learn new skills, and maybe just work in a field whe...
Busting the investing myths that hold you back
June 12, 2022 16:00 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's getting rid of the money mindsets that can hold you back. Hosted by Frances Cook. A big part of the investing game is mental. I'm a believer that the actual nuts and bolts of investing aren't all that hard. You can choose to make it complicated if that's what floats your boat, but the simple ways work just as well, and arguably the simpler the better for many of us. But ...
Is the KiwiSaver carnage as bad as it looks?
June 05, 2022 16:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the sea of red in your KiwiSaver, and how to work out if yours is as bad as it looks. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you’ve looked at your KiwiSaver, or any investments lately, you’ve probably winced and wondered if you’re doing something wrong. For about 13 years now we’ve been in a bull market, which means values have been going up, and we’ve all got pretty used to the money g...
Would you put crypto in your KiwiSaver?
May 29, 2022 16:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what's happening now that the dust is settling from the crypto crash, and how the mainstream investing world is reacting to it. Hosted by Frances Cook. The crypto world is just starting to catch its breath after what was one of the nastiest crashes in its history. A supposedly safe stablecoin, Luna, cratered, and may never recover. The ripples of fear went far and wide, and ...
The ultimate guide to the financial help available for first home buyers
May 22, 2022 16:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the ultimate guide to what first home buyers need to know to improve their chance at getting on the property ladder. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you're a first home buyer, you need all the help you can get, and the good news is that you've just got access to a little bit more of it. The Government has announced it's making changes to the First Home Loan scheme, which means far more people coul...
What the Budget means for your back pocket
May 19, 2022 20:49 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the Government's announcements on tackling cost of living, and whether it will make a difference for you. Hosted by Frances Cook. Budget day is a big deal for, well, basically all of us. The Government opens up its cheque book and decides who is getting what, with big ripple effects throughout the country and economy. This year, they’ve clearly decided to take a shot at th...
How to shield your investments from a chaotic year ahead
May 15, 2022 16:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to figure out an investing strategy that works in uncertain times. Hosted by Frances Cook. It's easy to feel like a good investor when the conditions are good. And they've been very good for a long time now. Sharemarkets have been going up, property prices have been rising, debt was cheap and cheaper by the day as interest rates kept going down. It depends a bit on w...
Can rising wages be a bad thing?
May 08, 2022 16:00 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's why you might not feel richer despite rising wages, and how to change that. Hosted by Frances Cook. Wages have just gone up by the highest percentage since March 2009. That's according to the latest figures from Stats NZ, which show that wages went up 3 per cent for the quarter ending March 2022. For the year to March, wages shot up 4.8 per cent. So far so good right? I lik...
How to be smarter when donating to charity
May 01, 2022 17:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MB<strong>Each week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, the smartest ways to donate to charity. Hosted by Frances Cook.</strong> You'll often hear the phrase that money can't buy happiness. Which I agree with to a certain degree. Working yourself into the ground in order to have a pile of money that you use to simply buy more stuff, is something that won't bring most people happiness. But there are certain things that research...
Mortgage wars: How to beat the banks at their own game
April 24, 2022 17:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBEach week BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to beat the banks at their own game. Hosted by Frances Cook. We’re back! Welcome to an all new season of the podcast. I may have left to have a baby, but I couldn’t stay away for too long, and boy some interesting stuff happened while I was gone. Not least of which are the changes to mortgage rules. You may have heard rumours that you can now be turned down for a mortga...
Trailer
April 22, 2022 03:36 - 30 seconds - 518 KBCooking the Books with Frances Cook is back for 2022! New episodes now launch Mondays at 5am - brought to you by BusinessDesk and NZ Herald! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How to house hack your way to lower bills
March 15, 2022 16:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how a few tweaks to your house could save you big bucks. Hosted by Frances Cook. Just about everyone wants to cut back on their boring bills, so they can have more money to spend on the fun things in life. The biggest expenses for the average person are housing, transport and food, with housing easily taking out first place. The best thing about this, is if you cut your bil...
The KiwiSaver mistake younger people are making, that hurts first home buying
March 02, 2022 00:18 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the mistake being made with KiwiSavers, and how to fix it. Hosted by Frances Cook. KiwiSaver is really important, not only for our long term futures in retirement, but also our short term futures of buying first homes. Figures from the IRD show this year, in July alone, $125 million dollars was pulled out of KiwiSavers for first homes. In fact, research from Canstar shows about half of 18...
The career advice you need to ignore
February 15, 2022 16:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the career advice you shouldn't listen to, and what you should do instead. Hosted by Frances Cook. Your career is probably the most lucrative asset you have. Sure, you might have plans to invest in shares, or property, or to do all sorts of other fun things with your money. But the place most of us start is earning that money, so we can invest it elsewhere. It is of course...
How to save money while saving the planet
February 01, 2022 16:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBEach week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how a greener lifestyle can help your back pocket. Hosted by Frances Cook. We all know we should be doing more to save the planet. Landfills are piling up, climate change is getting started, and it seems like a new species becomes endangered or extinct every day. The problem is we're can be a selfish bunch sometimes, and it can be hard to persuade people to look after...
Why doing less can make you richer
January 18, 2022 16:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's a new win for the passive investing fans. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you invest in shares, the later parts of last year probably weren't fun for you. To put it mildly, the markets were spooked by a combination of factors including the stand-off between China and the US, political uncertainty in Europe, and general worries for the global economy. The end result was a sea of r...
Top tips to cut your food budget
January 04, 2022 16:00 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's top tips to reduce your food bill. Hosted by Frances Cook. Food is one of those core expenses that soaks up a lot of our money, but that we can feel powerless over. Now you do have to pay something for food, obviously, but there are ways to reduce both your cost, and your effort. You don’t want to be only eating beans and rice, and you certainly don’t want to be spending hours in the kitche...
The psychology of why it's better to give than receive
December 28, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's why giving to others can give you a boost too. Hosted by Frances Cook. This podcast focuses a lot on how to fix your finances, but once you've got yourself sorted, should you be helping others? Well, yes. For starters, nobody succeeds purely on their own. Even when you work hard, there's usually some sort of family support, or a workplace taking a chance on you, or a social ...
How the rule of 100 helps decide your investing strategy
December 14, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how a rule of thumb can give guidance on your personal investing strategy. Hosted by Frances Cook. Time is everything when you're investing. Long-time podcast listeners will have heard it here before - the longer you have, the more that risky investments will be right for you, like shares or property. If you have less time, a lower risk investment like bonds or term deposits...
Six ways New Zealanders save money over Christmas
November 30, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBEach week the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to get through the notoriously expensive Christmas season without blowing the budget. Hosted by Frances Cook. You don't need me to tell you it's an expensive time of year. I start to feel the dread of Christmas around October, reminding me I need to buy people presents, stock up on food, and prepare for the social calendar to be flooded. All of the Christmas festi...
Why your emotions are the biggest danger when investing
November 16, 2021 16:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's keeping emotion in check to become a better investor. Hosted by Frances Cook. Emotions and money are like petrol and fire. Try not to mix them if you can, because it's likely you won't enjoy the result. So while I've loved seeing more people paying attention to their money in the last year, and particularly the fantastic surge in people who are interested in investing, I have found it worryi...
Should you drain your KiwiSaver to buy a house?
November 02, 2021 16:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's whether it's worth draining your retirement savings to buy your first home. Hosted by Frances Cook. Scraping together a deposit for your first home can be a fraught exercise. House prices are through the roof, and in some areas, only getting worse. Take the latest data from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. Last month it revealed that finding an affordable ho...
The rising power of ethical investments
October 19, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 22 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's why a clean conscience could actually make you the most money. Hosted by Frances Cook. Nobody wants to be a bad person, but sometimes, life doesn’t make it easy for you to be a good person. So it is with money, where many have assumed for years that making the most money means getting your hands a little dirty. But is that actually true? Ethical investing is an area that’s...
How to successfully make money from your hobbies
October 05, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the things you need to know before monetising a hobby. Hosted by Frances Cook. When you're trying to get better with money, there's on simple truth that can't be ignored: it's always easier to do well if you have more cash coming in the door. Asking for a raise is one option, but another that appeals to many people is starting their own business. After all, the stakes may be...
The tricks to op shopping like a pro
September 21, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the inside secrets to looking glam on a budget. Hosted by Frances Cook. What's the point of a podcast, if not abusing it to simply find out things you want to know yourself? There's no point, that's what. So today I'm hijacking the platform to give us the inside word on how the pros find the best second hand gems. Many of you will already know I’ve set myself a challenge for ...
The nuts and bolts of how to start investing
September 07, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the best ways to start investing in New Zealand. Hosted by Frances Cook. There’s been lots of chat about whether you should be investing these days, with my inbox flooded with people wanting to give it a try. To recap, the answer is a cautious yes, as long as you do it in the right way – we’ve covered that in recent podcasts. But what about the nuts and bolts of where you ac...
What to know before buying a house with friends
August 24, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the good and bad of buying a house with a friend. Hosted by Frances Cook. Money can be particularly difficult when you're flying solo. You don't have the luxury of pooling resources with someone else, buying the same thing for a fraction of the price. Or don't you? Particularly in the house buying world, some people are now teaming up with friends. It's a smart way to get ...
The argument against maximising your KiwiSaver contributions
August 10, 2021 17:00 - 21 minutes - 20 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the things you need to know before maxing out your KiwiSaver. Hosted by Frances Cook. KiwiSaver is a wonderful scheme. You get free money from the Government and your employer, it automates your retirement savings, and it has plenty of options to let you do what's best for you and your money. It's safe to say, I heartily approve of KiwiSaver. But just because it's a good s...
The NZer who paid off $94,000 debt in 3 years, by side hustling
July 27, 2021 17:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the woman who tackled $94,000 of debt in three years, and why she still side hustles now that she's debt-free. Hosted by Frances Cook. There are all sorts of good reasons to want more cash on the side, especially these days. You might have had your pay reduced, you’re working towards a big goal that needs more cash, you want to boost your savings account, or you just want more money to ease l...
The common insurance mistake New Zealanders are making
July 13, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to figure out what insurance is worth getting, and what's not. Hosted by Frances Cook. Insurance is one of those areas that gets murky even for the experts. There are lots of different things you can insure, from your stuff, to your house, even pets or your health. There's also insurance for your income, and one rather worrying statistic shows about 55,000 NZ households ...
How to have fun for free
July 06, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBEach week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how you can have fun without spending a cent. Hosted by Frances Cook. A basic rule of personal finance is to live within your means. Spend less than you earn. Have some self-restraint. Which is all well and good, but that's really hard. The finer things in life are fun, and I'm as susceptible as anyone else to just giving in, yelling out YOLO, and blowing my budget. So it's w...
It's not goodbye, it's see you later
July 04, 2021 17:00 - 44 seconds - 732 KBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why you need a will much younger than you think
June 22, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBYou need a will when you're still young - much younger than you expect. Yes I know, none of us like thinking about death, and frankly many of us feel broke and like we don't have much to leave to loved ones, but you still should consider a will. If you have sentimental jewellery that you'd like to leave to a particular someone, a few thousand dollars that might help out your partner, or even a car that you'd like to go to your car enthusiast friend, you need a will. Without one, your pr...
How the digital world is turbo-charging change in our money habits
June 15, 2021 17:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how smartphones are changing the way we handle our cash. Hosted by Frances Cook. We've all heard about how Covid-19 forced us to do years worth of digital adoption in just a few short weeks, and now, we've got some numbers on it. The Financial Services Council carries out regular research on what's happening with our money, and their just released report on the rise of digital investors is f...
Will housing market changes be enough for first home buyers?
June 01, 2021 17:00 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's an honest assessment of what's next for property. Hosted by Frances Cook. We've just had one of my favourite times of year – Budget Day, where the government not only tells you where they're spending their billions of dollars, but also what they're assuming will happen in our country over the next few years. This year, Treasury made an interesting prediction that house prices will flatten of...
How to make a budget that isn't about punishing yourself
May 25, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to write a budget that doesn't make you miserable. Hosted by Frances Cook. Budget. Did you just get a shiver down your spine? Immediately clutch your takeaway coffee cup a little closer to your chest? Have a vision of yourself sitting on the couch on a Friday night, watching your friends on social media having fun without you? To say budgeting has an image problem is an understatement....
How to use money to boost your happiness
May 18, 2021 17:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the balance between money and happiness. Hosted by Frances Cook. I'm a firm believer that managing your money is actually about anything but money. Piling up cash just for the sake of it isn't just boring, it's pointless. Study after study has shown a big pile of cash on its own won't make you happy. But deciding what you want out of life, and using money as a tool to get you there? Now th...
How far should we go in reimagining housing?
May 04, 2021 17:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's the changes that could make our housing more affordable. Hosted by Frances Cook. Something needs to change in our housing market, that much is clear. But what? Prices have been spiraling up for a while now, and the last year has only seen things get more intense. Increasing numbers of people feel locked out of buying their own home, a core part of financial stability in New Zealand for gen...
How to decide if a do-up is worth it
April 27, 2021 17:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to decide whether to flex your DIY muscles. Hosted by Frances Cook. As first home buyers struggle to get a foot on the housing ladder, a suggestion you'll often hear is to buy a do-up. Buying a rundown place for less money means you can use your own time and sweat to bring it up to standard, or at least, so the theory goes. The problem is that many changes you'll need to make will stil...
How to land a good job and a pay rise, post-pandemic
April 20, 2021 17:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to turn the job hunt in your favour. Hosted by Frances Cook. We've all seen the news about how the economy is bouncing back faster than expected, and businesses are feeling cautiously optimistic about the future post-Covid 19. Which is wonderful, not least because it means an opportunity for the rest of us to get a piece of the pie. Many workers were asked to take a pay cut for part of la...
How to financially prepare for a career break
April 13, 2021 17:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to make a career break financially possible. Hosted by Frances Cook. Taking a career break sounds like a luxurious treat for the millionaires amongst us, but actually, it's more common than you realise. It also doesn't have to be financially ruinous. There are lots of reasons to take a break, and research from Hays recruitment in 2019 gives us an insight into that. They found that 64 p...
Can you reach financial security without a house?
April 06, 2021 17:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how high house prices are changing the way we manage our money. Hosted by Frances Cook. You'd have to be living under a rock to miss all the chat about housing, what with the soaring prices and the Government bringing in new rules to try to bring it under control. While it's good that action is being taken, it's always a long-term game. We'll have to wait to see how many of the housing chang...
A guide to the free cash that boosts your home deposit
March 30, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what financial help is available to first home buyers. Hosted by Frances Cook So the government has had a jiggle around of what's available to help first home buyers, but is it enough? We all know it's tough out there, and house prices just seem to keep racing away. More people can now access free cash to boost their house deposit. There are also some schemes that already existed, that yo...
How to choose a financial advisor
March 23, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what to know before you ask an expert for help with your finances. Hosted by Frances Cook. It's something we'll often say on this show – we talk about the general rules of how money works, but after that you have to apply it to you own individual situation. If things are complicated enough, you might want to look for a financial advisor to help you. But if the letters coming into my inbox ...
What crypto traders expect from wary government regulators
March 16, 2021 16:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how the world of cryptocurrency could change as it becomes more mainstream. Hosted by Frances Cook. Regular listeners to this podcast will know I'm conflicted about cryptocurrencies. Right now, it doesn't fit my criteria for what makes a good investment. It's just too speculative. But that doesn't mean I think there's no future for digital currencies such as Bitcoin or blockchain such as E...
How to clean up your finances so the bank gives you a mortgage
March 09, 2021 16:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to get ready so the bank's more likely to say yes to a mortgage. Hosted by Frances Cook. We all know that house prices are soaring, making it harder than ever to scrape a deposit together. The trick is, when you're talking to a bank, getting approved for a mortgage isn't a black and white process. The bank does have a little bit of discretion. Just not much. They're charged with maki...
BONUS EPISODE: The OneRoof Property Panel, hot but for how long?
March 04, 2021 16:00 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The investing revolution that's giving smaller players more power
March 02, 2021 16:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what to know if you're a DIY investor diving into the sharemarket. Hosted by Frances Cook. Even in the relatively small time that this podcast has existed, the investing landscape has changed enormously. It's only in the last couple of years that we've seen easy options popping up for people to start investing in shares, on their own terms, with whatever money they have to hand. Before tha...
How to prepare your finances for having a baby
February 23, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBEach week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's where to spend and where to skimp if you're having a baby. Hosted by Frances Cook. If you're planning to have a baby it's a really exciting time, but it can also be a minefield of change that you're navigating for the very first time. Many of those changes will be powered by money, and it can be a bit confusing trying to work out how much you'll need. What do you need to buy, and what's ju...