Tinker Buck the Norm - Financial Empowerment

For Love or Money

2010-07-29T08:00:00Z

As a new member of the married club, my husband and I had the obligatory conversation about our spending habits, budgeting and credit history. Needless to say, it quickly became a subject of tension and frustration, but it was also very liberating. It opened up the lines of communication concerning finances, forced us to evaluate our individual spending practices, and forced us to develop a spending plan as a couple. If there was only one thing I could change, it would be that we had tackled this issue sooner; it would have made the “your money is our money and my money is my money” transition a little easier (just kidding). But really—it would have saved us a lot of trouble after the wedding.

So if you’re newly married, engaged, or seriously committed, it’s a great idea to vocalize each other’s financial expectations and responsibilities. This is an opportunity to improve your relationship by understanding your significant other’s perspective and collaborating to find what works best for you as a couple. Just because you married each other (or plan to) doesn’t mean you have to marry accounts, but it is important that there is agreement on how you both spend money as you work towards financial goals together. What are some things you can do?

1. Disclose individual debt: Knowing each other’s credit situation will reveal individual spending behavior and influence the budgeting process. It may forecast future financial decisions both individually and as a couple.

2. Create a budget and spending plan together: We proportioned our income so it would be equal and easy to budget for bills, saving, and individual spending. We did opt for the joint account, but still have individual accounts for discretionary spending and saving.

3. Revisit your spending plan monthly. Make sure you’re on track and make revisions if necessary.

4. Take turns: I know most couples have the one person who takes care of all the bills, but try switching that responsibility once in awhile. That way, both parties are aware of how important the budgeting task is.

5. Maintain open communication: touch base with your better half and make sure they know what has been paid and what may be available to spend.

The most important thing is not to let money be the defining factor in your relationships. Other tips can be found at here and here.

What are your thoughts about relationships and money?

Stay Smart: Inspect Your Credit Report

2010-07-22T04:00:00Z

So it’s smack dab in the middle of summer and boy am I loving it! Spending weekends at the pool, cooking out on the grill and doing the things I love without having to think of homework, tests, or anything school-related at all is one of the more satisfying things in life.

But regardless of whether you’re in school now or are going to be starting back up in the fall, now is the time to get a few things in order. One of those being your credit. But in order to do so you’ll need to view your credit report.

How do you go about viewing it? Just go to here and ask for your free credit report from all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.) More than likely you will be able to view all three online immediately.

Why You Need to View Your Credit Report

There are a few reasons you need to view your credit report at least once a year.

1. Make sure you are not a victim of identity theft. The number one issue reported to the Federal Trade Commission is that of identity theft. You will want to view your credit report to make sure all the accounts it shows are accounts you opened up yourself and no one else has opened up under your social security number and other information.

2. Ensure all information is being reported accurately. A survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group found that 79% of people have some kind of error on their credit report. By viewing your credit report annually you’ll be able to look over the details and make sure that all your information is being reported accurately. If it isn’t, you can dispute it with the credit bureau reporting the information.

3. Get a wake up call. By viewing your credit report you might just get a wake up call to something you weren’t previously aware of. Your credit report will show all of your accounts and your particular standing with that company or financial institution. You may see an account you have been neglecting. By getting this wake up call you can get on your way to repairing your credit and building up a good name for yourself financially.

Have you ever viewed your credit report in the past 12 months?

Slim Your Waist, Not Your Wallet

2010-07-14T04:00:00Z

1001…1002…1003! Oh hey, Buck The Normers! I was just working out my muscles! Getting ripped, pumping the iron and getting ready for the gun show. No, really I was sitting here thinking about eating a cheeseburger…mmmmm cheeseburgers.

If you are like me you do want to slim down your waist but don’t really want to slim down your wallet in the process I found some wonderful tips to keep you and your finances healthy.

Go to the library and check out free workout DVDs and books. I went the other day and was surprised by the huge selection. You could also make special requests for the latest DVDs and books.

YouTube has thousands of free videos to exercise to. Some of these amateur fitness folks could give Tony Horton a run for his money.

Find a work out buddy. Getting a dedicated partner can save you money on a gym membership and it keeps you motivated to actually use it.

Running in the park is still a free activity.

Check out your community papers for free workout classes. Zumba, kickboxing, and yoga were just a few I found in my paper.

Working out at home is also an option. There are hundreds of exercises you can do without ever having to pick up a weight i.e. pushups, lunges, jumping jacks.

If you already have a gym membership that you are paying for you could save money by just going to the gym three times a week as opposed to a full week. By doing so you would be saving money on gas and the amount of laundry you would have to do. Trust me little things add up to big dollars in the long run.

Do you have any slimming your waist, not your wallet tips? If so, please leave us a comment.

Budgeting = FREEDOM

2010-06-25T04:00:00Z

So I am new here at Buck the Norm, and you guys might just think I’m crazy but hang with me for a minute.

I’m convinced that budgeting is actually one of the more freeing things in life.

Why, you ask? Here’s why: It allows you to be in control of your hard-earned money instead of your money being in control of you. Sure, it might sting a little at first but once you start to see the results you will be more than happy you took it on. I definitely am!

With a budget, next time you get a paycheck you will have a game plan all laid out on exactly where that money is going to go. Instead of just cashing your check and spending it without thinking and then having a bill come in the mail you don’t have enough to pay for, you will be able to sleep (and live!) peacefully and confidently knowing that all your basis are taken care of.

We have our Budgeting 101 article you can check out to help you get started, but I wanted to point out a few important things here as well. (Remember that a budget doesn’t have to be one certain one way but it should be a way that works for you. I suggest creating a monthly budget and then breaking it down into each pay period.)

1. Pay yourself first! Sound crazy? It is! It’s bucking the norm! The first thing you need to budget for is your savings account. This is an account with cash in it that has your name on it. It belongs to you and no one else. It can be a savings account for emergencies, vacation, a new TV or even more importantly retirement or all of the above. But its money that you are paying yourself before you pay your bills or go out to eat. This can either be a certain percentage of your check or just a flat amount you want to put in out of every paycheck. (If you don’t have an emergency fund built up yet start on that! You’ll be prepared to buy a new tire if yours blows out as well as ready to pay for other emergencies without going into debt.)

2. Budget the bills in! Of course, responsible individuals not only pay themselves but they pay their bills too! When creating your budget, after you have budgeted in how much you will be saving go ahead and budget in any and all bills that you have in a monthly basis.

3. Budget necessary spending! After you have set aside for both savings and bills what is left is money you get to spend! But of course there is a difference between spending on what is necessary (groceries, gas, insurance, etc.) and what is not necessary (the movies!) So make sure that you have budgeted for the things you know you will need to spend money on for the month.

4. Finally, the rest is yours! The rest of your paycheck is yours! You can spend it on a night out with your friends or giving to charity or even adding [more] to your savings! (Can you tell I really love the whole savings thing??)

Of course laying out a budget is different than actually sticking with it throughout the month. So what’s the key? Track your spending as you go. You can do this manually (and make it easy on yourself by using your financial institution’s online system to watch where you’re money is going) or there are different resources like the computer software Quicken or Microsoft Money. What I’ve been using lately and has been very helpful is Mint.com. will automatically track and categorize your spending for you!

Like I said, there isn’t one single, right way to do your budget but the important thing is that you have one, and that it works for you. Play around with it, make adjustments as needed for a few months and then smile knowing you’re on your way to freedom.

Do you have a budget? Share your experience: How easy or hard was it to create one and stick with it?

Picture Me Rollin'

2010-06-08T08:00:00Z

A couple of weeks ago a wicked hailstorm passed through Oklahoma City. I happened to be at one of the local movie theaters at the time and my car was beat up pretty bad. The next day I called my insurance company (always fun) and I began the process of filing a claim for the damage. Long story short, the folks at my insurance company determined that my car was a total loss. Awesome (note the sarcasm).

I liked my car. It wasn’t the sweetest ride but it was reliable and it got the job done. I wasn’t too thrilled about buying a new car mainly because I hate the entire process. I did have a couple of goals: I wanted to keep my monthly payment in the same range as my old car and I didn’t want my insurance premiums to go up too much. I decided that I was going to look for a newer version of the car I had been driving. I went online, did some research (good information here and here), took care of the financing through my financial institution (I highly recommend doing this) and found a car in my price range.

I made a couple of trips to the dealership and bought the car this past weekend. I love it. I was able to get a nicer version of the car I had been driving, the monthly payment is slightly lower and my insurance premium only went one dollar per month. Success!

Have you bought a car recently and have any advice that helped make the process easier? Let us know in the comment section!

Congratulations…You’re Fired!

2010-05-18T04:00:00Z

“I mean, there’s no arguing. There is no anything. There is no beating around the bush. “You’re fired” is a very strong term.” ~ Donald Trump

You’re fired…let go…terminated! Some of you will hear these words at least once in your lifetime. This could be because the company is going in a different direction, your position is no longer needed, company cut backs, or the fact that you couldn’t cut it at your job. Whatever the reason it may be you need to have a plan in place, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s just another rock one has to climb in the mountain called life. Here are some tips I got from About.com.

So what are some of the thing you need to do after being let go?

Get some rest: It has happen; you can’t turn back the hands of time. Take the next day to relax and gather all your thoughts. Stressing about it will only make you tired and could cause you to miss something important that you need to do.

File for unemployment: Don’t wait to file for unemployment. The sooner you file, the sooner you will start receiving checks. If the company did layoffs and you were one of the unlucky few, you could be eligible for unemployment.

Get health insurance (COBRA): It is not the bad guys from GI Joe, but a service that is provided to you. Your employer, if the firm has over 20 employees, is mandated by law to offer health insurance coverage through Cobra to terminated employees for 18 months. You will need to pay for this coverage. In some cases, employers will pay for coverage for a limited time as part of a severance package.

Start working on those resumes and cover letters: If you didn’t already have an updated resume (which you should) it’s time to get to work on one. All your job search correspondence must be positive. There is no need to mention that you were fired in your resume or in your cover letters. In your cover letters, focus on the basics.

Make sure your cover letters address the position you are applying for and why, and how, you are qualified for it. That’s all you need to do. There is no point in bringing up the circumstances of your leaving until you have to.

References: Hey there may be someone at the company you left that still likes you, if so use them for references. Having good references can be the clincher that gets you that new job. Don’t wait to ask for a reference. Whether you have been laid-off or resign, ask while your employer still knows who you are. If you have been fired, you may be able to ask a colleague for a reference.

Brush up on your interviewing skills: You got to get back on that interviewing horse. Be prepared for questions on why you were let go. Keep it brief, keep it honest, and keep it moving. Explain why the downsizing or merger wasn’t your fault. If it was, suggest telling the interviewer you learned a lesson and explain how you benefited from the experience. Take the negative and turn it into a positive.

It’s not a REM song (End of the world, for you young readers) and you will find another job in time. It happens to the best of us (even me). Just remember to keep a cool head and look towards the new doors that life will open for you.

Do you have any tips on what to do after getting canned? If so, please let the world know in the comment section below.

Go Green While Saving Green

2010-05-04T04:00:00Z

Everywhere you look, it seems as if everyone is “going green.” I think it’s a great idea to preserve our planet’s sustainable resources—but it would be even better if we could save some money while doing so!

Want to be an environmentally friendly, money-savvy individual? Well lucky you, here are some pointers from our environmentally conscious friends at World Watch:

1. Unplug unused appliances. Even though they’re technically turned off, they’re still drawing electricity, which is called “phantom” use.

2. Now that it’s almost summer time, set your thermostat a few degrees higher. You will be surprised at how those few degrees will save money on your electric bill. In the winter, set it lower; you can layer up with sweater and blankets.

3. Ix-nay the bottled water. Bottled water is expensive and wasteful. Invest in an aluminum water bottle and water filter. In the long run, it will save you some significant dough and Mother Earth will thank you.

4. Buy in bulk. First, you’ll save money by purchasing items in bulk as opposed to individually. Secondly, buying in bulk will reduce the the amount of plastic used in the packaging.

5. Up for more shopping? Think quality over quantity. You may have to fork over more cash upon purchase, but by investing in the quality of long-lasting products, your wallet will be happy since you won’t have to replace things as frequently. Replacing things less often means less waste! Hurrah!

The best thing you can do is to stay informed about all the ways you can save green while still being green. What are some tips you use to save green while being green?

Man's Best Friend

2010-04-14T08:00:00Z

If you’re like me, you grew up owning some type of pet. I grew up in southern Oklahoma, in the country, so we always had dogs. I love ‘em. They can be some of the most loyal friends you’ll ever have. I haven’t owned a dog in a long time so I decided that I’m going to get myself one.

At first, I thought about buying a purebred dog. I knew I could spend hundreds of dollars on this kind of dog but I was still open to the idea. I began to look around Oklahoma City and the more I looked the more I came across websites with tons of dogs that needed to be rescued.

At a rescue you can get a great dog for a fraction of the cost and help save a life. I think purebred dogs are great. If that’s the kind of dog that works for you, go for it but I wanted to adopt. I decided I wanted a black puppy. That was my only requirement. I found a puppy at a local rescue that I’m going to see this week! I’m pretty pumped!

Buying a dog can be become expensive pretty quick. Keep in mind that most dogs live from ten to fifteen years! That’s a lot of time and a lot of cash. Obviously the pup will need food and supplies but where it can get expensive is taking the big guy to the vet. Those visits can get pricey pretty quick with all the necessary vaccinations, checkups, etc.

Another great reason to look for a dog at rescue is that they will take care of lot of these things for you and only charge a small adoption fee. Pretty sweet deal. Saving cash and saving lives! Everybody wins!

For more information about pets go here. Have you bought a new pet recently? How did you handle the costs of taking of care of your new bud? Let us know in the comment section.

Let the Voting Begin!

2010-03-29T04:00:00Z

The time to submit your video for the 3rd Annual Buck the Norm Video Scholarship Contest is now over! Thanks to all the superstars that entered but hang tight because this contest is still not over! Now we need to hear what you think!

Vote from April 1st through the 15th for the best video. And if you entered a video…tell EVERYONE you know to vote for you, however, wherever and whenever! (If you need a few ideas to get the word out, we have provided a few pointers for you in the contest section.)

The winner will be announced on April 23rd. Thank you to all the contestants that entered and may the best (or worst) spender win!

No, but I got a great personality!

2010-03-24T04:00:00Z

As many of you are about to graduate in less then two months and give up whatever little happiness you had left…er…I mean get a full time job, your resume will play a big factor in whatever you do. Here are some great tips from the guys and gals over at yahoo hotjobs on what great resume should consist of.

And here are five tips to consider as you update your resumé and debate the length it should be:

1. Make sure your resumé clearly and succinctly communicates your achievements. Avoid resume “filler”—vague language that doesn’t precisely explain a skill or an accomplishment. According to Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor career and workplace expert, you should try to tie each thing in your work history to a measurable result you achieved.

2. Evaluate whether an achievement is best highlighted in your resumé, in an interview, or perhaps in your cover letter. Rueff says, “The resumé is an outline, or a storyboard of you. It tells a story of continued achievement and growth. Storyboards hit the high points; the interview is when you can introduce dialogue, drama, the overcoming of barriers, and so on.”

3. Consider whether a long-ago job best supports your qualification for a job you’re after today. For example, a valuable experience waiting tables at one of the busiest restaurants in your town may have taught you how to multitask, but does that job readily speak to why you would make a great software engineer at Oracle?

4. Look at the format of your resumé with fresh eyes and consider whether a brief paragraph or five to seven bullets would more easily express what you managed to do in your last few jobs. Rueff explains, “Consider your audience. For example, if you’re applying for a job that will require a lot of writing, consider developing a two- or three-sentence paragraph for each job that gives a hint of your writing skills. However, if you’re in a technical field, brief bullets may best showcase your experience. The bottom line is that whether you bullet-point your achievements or offer more color in a paragraph format, everything should be tied to a result and tell a mini-story within the bigger career story of you.”

5. Avoid cliffhangers or one-liners that extend your resumé to a second or third page. Often that last hanger line will either be ignored or simply have the potential employer asking, “Why didn’t they clean that up?!’ And above all SPELL CHECK!

Do you have some tips for building a better resumé? Please let the world know in the comment section.

Hittin' the Road

2010-03-16T04:00:00Z

I’ve been out of college for a while now and since I don’t get a spring break anymore I was feeling the urge to get out of the city for a couple of days and enjoy some warmer weather. This winter has been unusually ridiculous and the idea of getting some time outside sounded like a good way to cure cabin fever.

When I was a kid, my family and I would always hit up state parks around Oklahoma for family vacations. They gave us a way for everyone to get together during the spring and summer and it never cost that much to do it. There are plenty of websites out there to help you find good deals on lodging and transport. Find one of those here.

So, a few of my friends and I decided to rough it for a few days and explore the great outdoors. The first thing to do was to decide on where we were going. The state of Oklahoma has a great travel website that gives information on every state park. You can find it here.

We picked an area about an hour south of Oklahoma City so travel expenses wouldn’t be an issue. Next, we had to pick where we wanted to stay. We were all in agreement that a cabin would be a lot sweeter than sleeping on the ground. Boom. Found a cabin for a good rate that would accommodate everyone.

Now all we had to do was pick up food and some other supplies that we’d need for weekend and we’d be good to go. I booked the trip and had all the supplies picked up in a couple of hours and all for about $100 a person.

Do you have any on ideas how to get away for a couple of days on the cheap? Let us know and leave them in the comment section.

I went on vacation and all I got was my house broken into and my stuff stolen!

2010-02-23T05:00:00Z

I love you Facebook/Twitter/Google Buzz, I really do. You give me a reason to be important…well to the 10 people that added me or follow me. I mean you’re fun to post pictures and make believe that I can one day become a real farmer if I can just get enough virtual seeds but lately you have not been that awesome.

Buzz, you went and told people that I have a social page and then automatically added them!

Facebook, if you change one more layout on me and add me to Google searches ever again…POW straight to the kisser!

Oh, Twitter, I got a beef with you too! I hear there is a website that tracks if I say I am on vacation so people can break into my house! Seriously!?

As always in my dad voice “You control what you want out there on the interwebz, so make sure it’s something you want the world to see!”

So since you wanted to play dirty I had to play even dirtier.

Since Google Buzz is new I will start with it first, here is how you can change the privacy settings:

You can change your privacy settings by visiting your Google Profile and clicking “Edit Profile” in the top right-hand corner. At the top of the “About Me” tab you’ll find an option reading: “Display the list of people I’m following and people following me.” Un-check the box next to it in order to hide those lists from public view. At the bottom of the same tab you’ll find the option to change your profile URL to (what we hope is) a random number.   If you want to opt out of Buzz entirely, scroll down to the bottom of your Gmail page, and click on the tiny “turn off Buzz” link.

For Facebook:

The New York Times posted a great article on changing your setting on Facebook it can be found here.

For Twitter:

On Twitter it really depends if you have a feature on your phone (twitter client i.e. twitterifc, twit pro, and any other third party apps that associate with twitter). What you want to do is find the settings in those apps and cut off the geo-tagging option. The geo tagging is where someone can locate you, which is great if you are at a restaurant you want everyone to come to but bad if you are at home and send it out.

Also on all of these make sure you don’t have your address or phone numbers listed and I know you want to brag about being on vacation but you may just want to keep it a secret till you come back from the trip.

Do you have tips on how to keep your profiles safe? Let me know in the comments section.

Save Money with Your Honey

2010-02-08T05:00:00Z

Just when you thought the gift-giving season was over, it’s already February and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. According to MSN Money, Americans are expected to spend $14.7 billion on V-Day festivities!

Is that really the cost of love? Here are some great tips that will help you express your love without breaking the bank:

1. Eat in: Leaving the house and going to a restaurant is easy. Planning and cooking a home-cooked meal will show your significant other how much effort you put into this year’s Valentine’s Day. This way, you will actually be able to spend time with each other, instead of a waiter and several other couples.

2. Don’t send flowers: Honestly, they’re expensive (especially this time of year) and they die. However, if flowers are necessary, order them online where it will be much easier to compare prices. You can even choose your own flowers at the florist and deliver them yourself.

3. Think small, but tasteful: What would you rather have— a bunch of day-old grocery store flowers or a few fresh flowers? A few, delectable pieces of Godiva chocolate or a whole bag o’ Hershey’s? You get the picture.

4. Instead of gifts, you could both save for a trip together. Spend the evening planning your weekend getaway. You’ll have something to look forward to in the future and you will still spend quality time together.

Most of all, your loved ones will just appreciate you having a plan, no matter what it is. You can get more great ideas here. What are your thoughts to save money on Valentine’s Day?

New Year, New Savings

2009-12-28T05:00:00Z

So the New Year is upon us once again. Time to forget the old and say hello to the new, time to revaluate one’s own path and make the necessary changes needed. You always hear people making resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight, get organized and enjoy life more. While those are great goals, one in particular should be on top of that list…let’s all say it together GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!

As funny as it may sound, getting out of debt will help you with your other resolutions this year and vise versa. If you quit smoking and took all the money you would have spent on buying a pack a day, and set up your checking account to take out $4 a day and put it into your savings account you could save about $120 a month which would turn into $1440 by years end!

If you’re wanting to get into better physical shape and save some cash, obviously you could cut the fat (Ha! See what I did there?) by not eating out everyday. At the grocery store you could use coupons and take advantage of the store deals. Also, you could buy healthy foods in bulk from stores like Sam’s and Costco. Besides getting a gym membership you could take advantage of walking or running at parks, looking online for free workout videos/planners and learn workouts that don’t need equipment.

Getting organized can also save you money. As you start to go through everything and notice stuff you have not used in forever think about having a garage sale, donating items for a tax deduction, or posting items to eBay or craigslist. The key is to take the money earned there and put it into savings or paying off debt.

Last but not least you can enjoy life more because you now know that you are saving money and making steps to a better you. So what are some of the tips or what are you doing to get a fresh start in the New Year?

“Did, umm... did Caesar live here?”

2009-12-21T05:00:00Z

In celebration of The Hangover being released on DVD last week I’ll be posting the final installment of my series on buying your first house. I’m going to cover the home inspection, homeowners insurance and the closing. Don’t worry. I’ll be quick.

I went out and picked up a copy of the movie and have watched it roughly eighteen times since Tuesday. Still as good as I remember and while all the characters are great in it, Alan carries that movie.

This quote doesn’t really have anything to do with the three topics I’m going to discuss. I just think it’s a hilarious line and I only have so many lines to choose from that would be appropriate for this post.

These final three steps were fairly painless for me. My real estate agent set up the home inspection and there were very few things that needed repair on the house. There was part of the foundation that needed to be fixed but if you live in Oklahoma that is very common. The sellers made the required repairs and we were ready to move on to the closing.

In the meantime, I contacted a local insurance agent and got my homeowners insurance taken care of. Sometimes if you use the same insurance company for both your home and car you can save some cash. It’s definitely worth checking into. All I really had to do was go by his office and sign some papers. Not too bad at all.

Finally, the day came to close on the house. I met my real estate agent at the mortgage company and signed my name roughly 27,000 times. I kid but seriously, it was a lot. They handed me the keys to my new house and I was officially a homeowner. For more information all this stuff go here.

I have to admit, it was pretty sweet. The next day I started to paint, tear out old carpet and move in some of my stuff. I’ve been in my house a couple months now and I love it. A good friend is my roommate, I’ve got a nice backyard and I have friends over all the time to hang out. It’s great. If you’re in a position that you’re able to buy your first house I would highly recommend. I would also highly recommend watching The Hangover. I mean, that is, if you like to laugh…a lot. If you don’t there’s probably something wrong with you. Happy holidays everyone!