Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - BONUS: Anna Catley, The Kiwi Mother Who Has Gone Viral During The Cost Of Living Crisis.

Episode Date: April 20, 2023

We chat to Anna Catley the mother who opens up about the struggles of being a mother during the cost of living crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hits, the Jono and Ben podcast. A lot of talk about the cost of living over the last few months. And of course, a lot of parents will know that childcare is very expensive as well. So there's that whole juggle about, you know, trying to work and trying to look after your kids as well. And there's a mum from Napier, Anna Catley is her name, who's gone viral on TikTok. Hundreds of thousands of views for her breaking down the sums of why it's better for her, actually better financially for her to stay at home and not go back to work and look after her three kids. And she joins us now. Anna, welcome.

Hey, how are you guys? We've been all right. How are you? Now, you're busy not only looking after three young children, but also doing so many radio and TV interviews. Oh my goodness. Yeah, it's been very hectic. I've just got, I planned for the twins to be asleep at this time, but they're up at the moment, so I'm just like throwing toys at them when they start to look like

they're about to crack it. So hopefully they're not too busy in the background. I'll do the same thing with Jotto. He's just holding on at the moment, but I'm throwing some toys his way. It's because he hasn't fed me yet. This is my feeding and nappy change time, Anna. Now, did you think when you, obviously no one thinks when they film a

video that it's going to go viral. Ben, you and me, we hope it's going to go viral, but it never does. So did you think that your video would strike a chord with so many? Not as many as it has, but I had a fair idea that it would be relatable to a lot of people but I think it's like in excess of 250,000 views now and I don't know over 10,000 comments so it's been crazy but I think it really highlights a tough issue for a lot of young families that you know in a lot of cases they're having to go back to work a lot earlier than they probably had planned because of the cost of living. It's just a difficult time.

Yeah, you're right. But then when you weigh that up, which you have done against the cost of childcare, it doesn't always add up. Well, I know because we're in a recession and it's not going away or we're heading into a recession too and it doesn't look like it's going away. Ben, we kind of tippy-toed around this the other day and I didn't know any information about it. Because the Reserve Bank, they put the rates up.

Oh, you keep saying they want the country to be in recession. Now, I've figured out why. Why's that? Well, I just read an article, so I didn't figure anything out. But the Reserve Bank, in order to get rid of inflation, they need to reduce spending levels. By raising interest rates, people spend less and then eventually... But what about businesses that want people...

Anyway, it doesn't all make sense to me. Mate, I'm not the bloody Reserve Bank, okay? Anna, is there an option to put your kids to work and you stay home still? You know, that's what I've always thought. Yeah, yeah, maybe. To be influencers. Influencers, make money off your babies. Let's do it.

I don't know why we're in on this plan now. It's like, mate, you've got your radio show. Why don't you not cut it on my thing? We'll go 10% each year and we'll make some money off your kids. Back in the day, you might remember, I remember there was a very famous photographer, Ann Geddes, used to put babies in pot plants. Oh, yeah, and take some photos, yeah.

Okay, I've got a few pot plants lying around. I'll give it some thought. Thank you very much, guys. This interview could be life-changing for us. That's what we always hope. We always hope to bring life-changing interviews. When you're saying us, you mean Ben and me as well? Yeah, and 10%, right?

Yeah, yeah. Hold on, I've got two. How many kids have you guys got between you? Well, between us, we've got four, two each, so yeah. Okay, well, I've got three. Okay, so we can all, yeah. We'll have to work out the math. Yeah, okay.

Anyway, I'll get naked and put myself in a pot plant. Okay, now we've lost money. So, Anna, what are you going to do? What's the way forward for you? Well, I've actually had a few people contact me who are interested in me potentially doing marketing work for them, which is great. I mean, that's my background.

And behind all the getting this issue a bit of airtime and raising it as an issue, the goal was to sort of put myself out there as a marketer as well. And I guess it's sort of proven know put myself out there as a marketer as well and i guess it's sort of uh proven a point i guess for this airtime that this this is getting that i think that i can do my job genius marketing on your cv there on every tv and look at us we've played into your hands haven't we yeah haven't we just even after all your seven sharps here news hubs that we're like we still want to we're in here I see what you've done.

Well, you don't want to miss out, do you? No. Play the bloody media like a fiddle. Not even your real kids. That's what I just read. You've seen right through me. Yeah, I hear you've got a $10 million mansion in the Hawke's Bay. I doubt it.

Well, hey, well, listen listen I'm glad there's some job opportunities on the horizon for you mate and yeah well you've related to a lot of people many thousands

hundreds of thousands of Kiwi families are going through exactly what you're going through right now it's been fun talking with you Anna and we'll come down

and do my naked pot plant shoot okay look forward to it yeah maybe put the kids away for that one we won't bring them out with that one yeah nice talking to you

Anna all the best