Thrift

Need some ways to shrink your supermarket spend? Can't figure out which lightbulb burns the brightest but for the lowest cost? Want to know how to bulk up your meals and save time cooking? RNZ's new weekly podcast Thrift is here to help find ways to beat the cost-of-living crisis and get the best from your money. Hosted by award winning journalist Katy Gosset, Thrift is the place to get positive tips to trim costs and to share your own.

Which side of the house should you sleep in? And are the beers in your garage fridge costing you more than you think? Senior Energy Advisor at Community Energy Action, Michael Begg, returns to discuss small appliances, home layouts and tells Katy where to hang her wet washing.

Why shouldn't we choose a wine for its label? And what are "heuristics"? We all know there are techniques supermarkets use to get us spending money so this episode we take a deep dive into "loss-leading products" and the "compromise effect". Marketing professor and ''professional people watcher'', Ekant Veer, explains what it all means and teaches Katy how to buy a jar of artichoke hearts.

Could you eat and survive on just $40 a week per person? And how can you fit ice cream into that budget? In Episode Two student nurse and blogger, Jordyn Hammond, talks about how she does it, why she's helping others on a low-income and gives Katy a crash course in meal planning.

Why are Kiwi households throwing away 130,000 tonnes of food each year ? Supermarkets rotate stock - why can't we? Kaitlin Dawson of NZ Food Waste Champions reveals the contents of her fridge and talks to Katy about food storage, compost and the bigger picture.

How can we control the humidity in our homes? And what's the best type of heating for each room? With power shortages already on the horizon, we need to make the most of what we've got. Senior Energy Advisor at Community Energy Action, Michael Begg, assesses Katy's home and helps her to finally use her bathroom extractor fan properly.

How can we start to put money aside? And once we have, can we avoid dipping back into it? First time saver, Charlene, explains how she financed her children's Christmas presents and paid off a car. Her financial mentor, Linda Smith of Christchurch's Methodist Mission, tells Katy about the Incentive Saver Scheme that's making a difference.

A new season of Thrift is on its way! From pickling and fixing stuff, to self-sustaining gardens and partying on a budget, Thrift has you covered. Katy Gosset learns some cost-saving tips from a diverse range of New Zealanders.

Whether you like dancing, drinking or hanging with friends - or even all of the above - everyone needs to cut loose sometimes. So how can we do it on the cheap? Katy Gosset finds out how people hit the town without spending a fortune.

Our grandparents did it and now a whole new generation wants to learn to pickle and preserve. Pickling novice, Katy Gosset, meets the self- described Preserving Queen who's bringing back 'the old ways'.

When the wheels come off the weekly budget, it's often car repairs that are to blame. So, what kind of maintenance do we need to do and how much can we do ourselves? Katy Gosset looks at how to avoid budget blowouts and keep our cars on the road.

You may have heard of Permaculture, how about Hügelkultur? What are they and can they help you grow your own food without spending any money? Katy Gosset gets the answers at a community garden and learns how making the perfect compost can become a lifetime addiction.

Why is our stuff always breaking and how can we avoid spending on new products? Katy Gosset gets some tips on buying well to start with. And she visits a Repair Cafe where volunteers fix items, saving them from the landfill and saving pennies at the same time.

We're all trying to trim costs. What money-saving tips can we learn from some of New Zealand's diverse cultures? Katy Gosset joins a cooking class at Canterbury's Refugee Resettlement and Resources Centre.

Too many clothes in your wardrobe? Don't worry you're not alone. But how many wears are you getting out of each item? And could you ditch a few to make some extra money? Katy Gosset looks at how to shop mindfully.

When times are tight it is possible to supplement your food budget with some wild bounty from nature. But it definitely helps to know what you're looking for. Katy Gosset heads out with a foraging expert to get some tips.

How often do you wash your clothes, and could you get away with doing it less? Recent figures indicate New Zealanders use 39 billion litres of water every year just to do laundry. Katy Gosset looks into how we can trim our washing budget.