How To Get Ahead In NZ Without Earning More

What if you genuinely can’t earn more? Are you stuck financially?In this Ask the Experts mailbag episode of Making Cents, we tackle a question that so many teachers, nurses, and public sector workers quietly wrestle with: what do you do when your income is capped?Today’s letter writer is a teacher. She’s hearing the usual advice, to “earn more”, “start a side hustle”, “increase your income”, but her reality is strict salary bands, long hours, and family commitments.So if climbing the income ladder isn’t straightforward, what’s the next best move?In the hot seat is Kristin Sutherland, financial advisor at EnableMe, and we break this down properly:– Are you really “stuck” in a capped-income career, or is there more wiggle room than it feels like?– If a pay rise isn’t coming anytime soon, what should you focus on instead? Investing, spending strategy, debt reduction, or something else?– Does investing still make sense when your income is flat?– How to think strategically about promotions, specialisation, or changing employers– Whether side hustles are worth it (and how to avoid burnout)– Navigating relationship dynamics when one partner is aggressively pursuing higher income and the other offers stabilityListen now to learn how to move forward — even when your income doesn’t.If you have a letter you’d like us to answer, please send it through to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and you might feature on our next episode!Follow me everywhere!Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknzTikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknzJoin the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribeThis podcast was filmed & produced by FanaticalsVideo editing & content production by Lana ByrneAudio engineering by Tash Chittock#MakingCents #FrancesCook