Each week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking The Books podcast tackles a different money problem. For the next three weeks we've gone political, asking the leader of each political party currently in Parliament for their best money tip for the average person.

Today, it's Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell. Hosted by Frances Cook.

Politicians are always banging on about the economy. Who has the better understanding of it, how they're the person to get our economy running hotter, why the other guy's ideas are stupid.

Which is all well and good, but what about on the day to day level?

Do our politicians remember what it's like to be the little guy like you or me, and are they keeping an eye on the issues affecting our lives? How hard it is to make ends meet? Maybe even a few suggestions on what we can do for life to be a bit easier?

Money issues touch every part of our lives, and I want to know what the people in charge think about it.

So, I had a chat to Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, about the importance of teaching kids to save from a young age.

We also talked about how he learned to count his pennies from a school post office account, and whether financial literacy should be taught in schools.

For the interview, listen to the podcast.

Still to come: United Future leader Peter Dunne, and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters declined an invitation to take part.

Already out: Prime Minister Bill English, Green Party co-leader James Shaw, ACT leader David Seymour.

Have a question about this podcast, or a suggestion for next time? Come and talk to me online. You can find me on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ , and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook . Don’t forget, you can subscribe to this podcast here and on the Apple podcasts app https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/cooking-the-books-with-frances-cook/id1247311946 .