Mozo podcast review: The Pineapple Project

A fun fact about me? I love fruit. An even funner fact? Pineapples are among my top five favourite fruits. An even funner, fun fact? Pineapples ripen faster upside down.

Okay, that’s enough of that. You didn’t come here for tropical fruit talk, did you? No, you came here for money talk and we’re delivering on that front again this month with the new kid on the Australian personal finance podcasting block – The Pineapple Project .

What is it about?

Despite what my tangential, albeit informative introduction may have you thinking, this podcast is NOT about the sweet (yet sumptuously sour) fruit found on farms, but instead about the pineapples (Aussie colloquialism for a $50 note) you keep in your wallet.
A bit of a newbie, The Pineapple Project only launched this side of the new year and has just six uploads to its name, but that hasn’t stopped it making an impact. Currently sitting atop of the iTunes top charts list, this podcast has already dealt with some personal finance pillars like how to sort your budget or how to think better about your money, in a super dressed-down way which means a lot of the financial spiel you’d usually doze off to actually makes a whole lot of sense.

What to expect?

In its short history, The Pineapple Project has alternated between seven and 30 minute episodes uploading one every three or four days. This podcast weaves interviews, audio effects and music to keep things trotting along at a brisk pace and is broken up by odd, comedic interjections from the host, Claire Hooper. Unlike the lads at Freakonomics Radio, Hooper has that ingrained knowledge of Aussie slang and pop culture so a lot of the conversations on The Pineapple Project are extremely relatable to the everyday Aussie.

But it isn’t just money chat on offer, these guys go that little bit further to help you do something with their personal finance fairy dust. Sure, you may have just listened to half an hour’s worth of money psychology tips, but what do you do what that information? These guys have compiled all the resources you need to actually turn their conversations into something tangible through their tips sheet section  which includes things like a financial psychology quiz and bill tips in easily downloadable PDFs.

Who is it for?

Maybe you’ve recently realised that money matters are kind of important to get your head around? If that’s the case, this podcast is pretty much the perfect place to start.
Yes, millennials I’m talking about us.

Who is behind The Pineapple Project?

If you find yourself cackling away mid-podcast it is probably because Hooper isn’t just a radio host, but also a stand-up comedian and writer. The refreshing thing is that she doesn’t really have any background in finance, like a lot of us – that’s what all those expert guests are for.

And as I’ve mentioned, The Pineapple Project is put together by national broadcaster and serial podcast producer, ABC, so you’ll be able to enjoy some very dulcet tones.

The Pineapple Project, according to them

Funny and confronting with a small dose of motivation, here is what the people behind The Pineapple Project say they’re all about.

“Does the word ‘budget’ make you microsleep? Have you never, ever looked at your super? Do you avoid dealing with your finances because it seems too hard, and boring, and annoying? Welcome. It’s time to get it together with money.”

Must-listen episode

Life-saving magic of a budget

Here at Mozo, we’re well aware of what a life-altering, earth-shattering moment it can be when you finally sit down to set up a budget. But hey, a lot of Aussies aren’t so lucky and Hooper was definitely one of them before she embarked on this particular podcast episode.

Speaking with personal finance expert, Canna Campbell, Hooper gets schooled on the basics of setting up a burly budget before meeting Jody Allen, the ‘Stay At Home Mum’ with a load of tips to actually keep you on track with your budget (did you know you could make your own washing powder?!).

Finally, this episode wraps up with Hooper tackling some big ticket expenses – we’re talking car insurance, energy and phone bills. The cool thing is you actually get to hear her speak to these providers over the phone and by the time she is done (although it does take a couple of attempts) she thinks she’s made a pretty crazy $6,000 annual saving.

Sound like the kinda thing you can see yourself listening to on the commute home today? You can download it here .