Hey, team, it's Frances.

Look, when things are all going a bit haywire in life and especially our money lives, I like to focus on taking back control of the things we can control.

Anytime you're feeling overwhelmed, I have found that stepping back, looking for the things we can control and then taking control of those, letting go of the rest, that's always been the key to getting a little bit of sanity back.

So the TVNZ breakfast team asked me to come on and chat about that.

Look at the things that are going

on, why they're happening and then what we can actually do about it.

Everything from taking control of those petrol costs to your food spend and a bit more.

They said I could share that conversation again with you here.

So here you go.

Hope you enjoy.

Between surging fuel prices, rising inflation, kiwisaver pressures and the looming reality that the cost of living is spiking, many New Zealanders are feeling the strain.

So how can you take back control of your finances?

Joining us now is independent financial journalist Frances Cook Moriyanity.

Frances, always nice to have you here with us.

People at home will be acutely feeling the increasing price of fuel here.

Perhaps some relief being announced later today for some.

What is some things we can do in order to feel a bit more control, where should we be putting our energy?

I think the problem in moments like this is there is so much out of your control.

Right.

I mean, it's not even just politics in New Zealand which can feel a bit pressurized, it's worldwide politics.

Right.

And I think really key moments like this that you do control the things you can control.

You look at, okay, what is actually within my circle of influence and things like getting prepared, staying informed and taking control of things like your petrol usage, even your food could be a bit of an issue.

Electricity, taking, taking control of those things at a moment like this does actually make you feel a bit better.

Okay, let's start with food.

And you're talking about taking control.

What are some practical steps you can do with your food spend?

Yeah, because I think an underrated thing in this whole situation is it is going to impact food quite soon.

It's already seeing little spikes.

But the fresh food particularly, we import a lot of our fertiliser through those same places that our petrol comes through.

It's all blocked.

It's a big problem.

So.

So fresh food will be the first to be a problem.

And then we've got staples like wheat, which of course impacts bread.

That's the next.

So I think the trick is if you start to prepare now, it gives you more buffer.

If things do get really crunchy later, start looking at, you know, check out what's actually in season.

That sort of stuff needs less fertilizer in, you know, the beginning of things.

Get more familiar with what's good that's canned and frozen.

Maybe start growing some of the stuff that, that's easy.

But more expensive things like your leafy greens, your herbs can be very expensive.

Grow them on a windowsill, get that going.

And then maybe, you know, just keep an eye on any food waste, make sure that that is all going really well.

Maybe stock up a little bit, don't panic, buy, but stock up a little bit on some of your staples like flour, if you're a big baker.

And what about Kiwi savor?

This can be a scary time for people looking at their back balances.

What would your advice be there?

And the thing with Kiwisaver is it's going to be all over the place and it's going to stay being all over the place through this.

I mean, we've got the latest.

I was just listening to some of your updates there before and it's on, it's off again, who knows?

And it rattles the markets.

Over the weekend we had things going down.

Let's back up.

Your Kiwisaver should fit your life, not the headlines.

So what's far more important than whatever is happening overseas is when do you need your Kiwisaver?

Whether it's a first home or planning to retire.

General rules of thumb here.

If you don't need it for 10 years or more, growth is great.

Even these ups and downs, they're a feature, not a bug.

They're actually part of how you make money long term, but you have to ride through it.

So 10 years or more growth is usually better.

Needing it in five years or so.

Something like balanced.

If you're actively house hunting or thinking about retiring soon, conservative, much better.

And what about fuel, gas itself?

How can you kind of get the most out of that?

Yeah, and I really think get smart with your fuel usage.

I mean, they are saying there could be problems with that.

Who knows?

Just get smart with it now.

This is a really great time to just recalibrate, reset.

If you've got a roof rack, get it off.

That really increases your fuel usage.

Check your tire pressure, it's free.

Why not check that?

Huge impact on your fuel usage.

Use those price comparison apps.

People always yell at me over how this is pronounced.

I don't know if it's gaspy or Gaspi.

Whichever one I pick, we've gone with.

We've gone with Gaspy.

There we go.

Holding strong on it.

Yeah.

So Gatsby is great, but, you know,

it can make a huge difference.

Huge difference.

Price, compare.

Really take control of those things and you're going to feel a bit better about it just by taking control of what you can.

And that sense of powerlessness, though it does extend beyond that.

Of course, a lot of what we're seeing here is the result of decisions made far, far away.

What can we do here in order to maybe exert some sort of influence?

And I think that's a really big thing is, you know, way back in the eons of time, before I got into business, I did political journalism.

Right.

People would be shocked how much a simple email to your MP actually does impact things, especially if there's a few of you emailing.

So if you're looking at this and thinking, I wish more was happening with solar power, or I wish more was happening with electric vehicles or whatever your thing is, I'm not gonna tell people what to be keen on.

But whatever you're keen on, if you do send just a quick email to your local mp, you would be shocked at the difference that can make.

So if you are feeling like something needs to change, you tell them.

They don't know unless you tell them.

Make your voice heard.

Yeah, great advice.

Always nice to have you here, Francis Cook.

Appreciate your insights.

Thanks for having me.

This podcast can only give you general information about how things work in most cities situations.

It's not individual financial advice if you're after that.

A financial advisor is always the best bet.