Consume This podcast

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Latest episodes

Episode 11 - An Attempt at Intimacy

Post-decriminalisation, the sex industry is – legally – just like any other business: the suppliers have obligations under consumer law. If you go to a brothel and the service isn’t very good, can you get your money back? Is the law fit for purpose? Or is there an inherent tension between the rights of workers and the rights of consumers?

To dive into this we hear from Dan about his experiences as a client, and Madam Mary, the owner and manager of Wellington brothel Funhouse.

Episode 10 - New Zealand, The Foreign Land

What’s life like for our Newest New Zealanders? This episode looks at the small struggles and barriers recent arrivals need to overcome to make Aotearoa their home. Staring Rohingya Refugee Hafsar Tameesuddin, former Yugoslav Vladimir Zdravkovich, recently married couple Hassan Tahir & Mehpara Kahn, and South African Kathryn Laverock.

Episode 9 - Feel The Burn: Sunscreen Fraud

Sunscreen, sun cream, teamy creamy... whatever you call it, it’s a crucial part of the New Zealand summer. It stops us burning and makes a day at the beach, or on the cricket field that bit more enjoyable. But not all sunscreens are created equal. We know that SPF 50 provides better protection than SPF 30, but it goes way beyond that. A bottle of ‘Teamy Creamy’ might seem innocuous, but all is not well in the world of sunscreen testing. It’s the scene of a decades long, multi-million-dollar fraud. A fraud perpetuated on the outskirts of NYC, who's effects have touched us all over the globe and may continue to be felt for years to come.

Episode 8 - What's In a Present? The Economics Of Gift Giving

On this episode of Consume This we’re unwrapping the psychology and economics behind our giving. Plus, New Zealand's ‘unofficial Christmas historian’ Ali Clarke delves into why we give gifts at Christmas at all. Paul Harrison – a consumer behavior specialist – explains what our choice of gift says about our relationship, and why you might be better off taking a step back from the marketing. That’s something pod host Jon Duffy discovers first hand when a secret Santa gift gone wrong provokes serious ire from co-host Sophie Richardson. But why is Sophie so angry? It’s all because of a lack of gift giving reciprocity. As Ananish Chaudhuri, professor of behavioral economics at Auckland university explains – that’s more important that you might think...

Episode 7 - The Not-So-Supermarkets

We all have a vague sense that groceries are really expensive. But are we really being charged too much? According to the Commerce Commission, the answer may well be yes.

We’re joined by Sarah Balle, the founder of a new online-only supermarket to find out why it’s so hard to compete with the current duopoly. Another Sarah – boss of Yum Granola Sarah Hedger – explains how a product makes it onto the supermarket shelves, who sets the price, and importantly why she doesn’t sell it cheaper via her own web shop. The grocery industry needs to change, we need our $$$ to go further, but are the Commerce Commission really up for the fight?

Episode 6 - Game Over: Can You Afford to Die?

Death is one of life’s certainties, but can you afford to die? According to the Ministry of Health the average price of a funeral is $8-10k. While this may not seem like a lot for some people, one in ten New Zealanders have no savings. We examine the funeral industry – can you BYO coffin? Why does it cost so much? Why is it so hard to find out funeral costs up front?

We talk to one woman about her experience navigating the death industry after the sudden and unexpected death of her mother. Ex-casket maker Tamara Linnhoff shares inside information about anti-competitive practices in the industry, and Stephen Parkyn, the CEO of Consumer Trusted Funeral Directors Lamb & Hayward tells us how regulation could improve things for consumers.

Episode 5 - How Instagram Made Me Buy A Worm Farm

Is social media encouraging you to buy things you don’t need? According to podcast host Sophie Richardson the answer is no... but then again, she thinks the worm farm subscription Instagram has just sold her is an essential item!

On this week's episode we explore how Instagram is changing the way we shop. Specifically, we’re on a quest to find out how it convinced Sophie to sign up for that subscription worm farm. How was she targeted, and how did Instagram know exactly what she wanted, even before she did?

Episode 4 - Scammed: How I Lost $100k On A Dating App

When we think about scamming, we think 'that wouldn't happen to me'. Scams are supposedly reserved for the elderly, hopeless, and those who are totally gullible. Rachel, a tax accountant from Auckland, wouldn't put herself into any of those categories, yet she was swindled out of $100,000. This is a cautionary tale that involves deceit, love, a hostage situation, lots of texting, and the pillaging of a hard-earned savings account. This is her story...

Episode 3 - Should You Stop Eating Red Meat?

We regularly hear through the media that farting cows are melting the ice caps, so are climate change concerns driving us to eat less flesh? If the answer is yes, are meat alternatives any better for the environment?

Episode 2 - My House Earns More Than Me

Is it harder than ever to buy a first home? (Short answer: yes, obviously.) We look at why home ownership is so important to us, what’s happening with the market, and what the future of home ownership could look like in New Zealand.

Episode 1 - Can You Buy Sustainable Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion gets a bad name when it comes to sustainability. With a dizzying number of brands like H&M and ASOS releasing “sustainable” and “conscious” clothing lines, is it possible to make environmentally friendly purchases that don't hurt the hip pocket?

Introducing Consume This

Meet the hosts