Tinker Buck the Norm : Financial Empowerment

Cupid Is As Cupid Does

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 0 Comments

Tell me something, what do you think is the most amount of money you have spent on yourself or someone else? The reason I ask is because February is already here. For some of you, this means you may be buying a gift for that special someone. Read more »

What's New With You

Posted on January 25, 2012 | 0 Comments

Here we are at the end of January. How’s your new year’s resolution going so far? Hopefully still going good and strong! As for myself, I wanted to do something different rather than just having the ordinary fitness goal. I say ordinary because every year I have been trying to lose the same 15 pounds! I’m still trying. Read more »

Money and Lyrics

Posted on January 18, 2012 | 0 Comments

I hate to start the new year talking about how to build a budget and why it is important, but what better way to start a new year than with a new budget. RIGHT!! Money is on everyone’s mind all the time. Even many musical artists struggle with money, you can hear it in their lyrics. As Snoop Dogg once proclaimed, “I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” Read more »

Paint Your Perfect Picture

Posted on January 4, 2012 | 0 Comments

If there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that I have no right to complain about my life because it is what I make it. Yes, outside circumstances come and go, things change but it’s my reaction to them that really determines the outcome. Read more »

Penniless Holiday

Posted on December 28, 2011 | 0 Comments

So here it is, December. The time of year when everyone is hustling around and buying Christmas gifts, attending holiday parties, taking final exams, and it’s almost time to head home to see your family when…BAM! Read more »

Tis The Season To Be Jolly

Posted on December 16, 2011 | 0 Comments

I love Christmas (period). Everything is so vibrant and lively it brings out the joy in you. The creative ideas in decorating a pine tree, driving around, and seeing all the beautiful lights that illuminate the night, looking at the different facial expressions children have when they see Santa Claus, and not to mention all the fun events that go on around town. Read more »

To Buy or Not To Buy

Posted on December 7, 2011 | 0 Comments

Good day Buck-the-Normers! I’m not sure how you enjoy spending your time, but I tend to spend most of my free time gaining knowledge in all different kinds of areas. Lately I’ve definitely been on a financial knowledge kick. Read more »

It's That Time of Year

Posted on November 23, 2011 | 0 Comments

It’s that time of year. Day after tomorrow, people will start to knock out their Christmas shopping. I wrote about “Black Friday” last year. Just to recap, I don’t like it. The insane number of stories and ads I’ve seen the last month promoting Black Friday has made me dislike the event even more. It’s almost overshadowed Thanksgiving. Awful. Read more »

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Posted on November 7, 2011 | 0 Comments

When I was a teenager, I overheard my mother discussing her credit score with someone on the phone. My mother has always been very responsible with her finances and has kept a close eye on her credit score. Apparently, she was speaking to someone with her financial institution about acquiring financing for a new home. We had lived in the same house for a number of years, and it was time to upgrade. Read more »

Silly Ways to Save – But They Work!

Posted on October 27, 2011 | 0 Comments

I like to think of ways to think creatively with the basic things in life, including saving money. When I started working at age 16, I didn’t have any bills to pay, so I would come up with different ways to save money, in addition to putting it in my savings account Read more »

Grocery Savings

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 0 Comments

There are a lot of things I try to save money on, but I’m guilty of not doing my best at one place: the grocery store. When I go to buy food, I know what I want and/or need, and I buy it. But, after watching shows like Extreme Couponing, I know there is a ton of saving potential to be had at the grocery store! Read more »

I’ve Never Even Been to San Jose

Posted on September 28, 2011 | 0 Comments

I recently was driving to a lake here in Oklahoma to visit my dad with my brother and sister when my phone rang. It was my boss. I answered and she had a very strange question for me, “ Are you, by any chance, in San Jose, California?” I started to laugh because I thought she was kidding. She wasn’t laughing. We had seen each other just the day before so I assumed there was going to be a punch line. There wasn’t. Read more »

This Is My Confession

Posted on September 16, 2011 | 0 Comments

Face it. A lot of us love to shop. Whether it means buying a new pair of shoes or getting the latest video games, having nice things can make you feel really good for that moment and even make you smile a little bit. Read more »

Peace of Mind

Posted on September 6, 2011 | 0 Comments

I know I have a tendency to worry, so I also choose to stay as prepared as possible. One of the ways I can do this is by having an emergency fund. Life’s life and we can’t prevent certain things from happening - cars breaking down, hail damaging our roof, an urgent need to go see a loved one across the country, or a sudden loss of your job. But what we can prevent is not being able to take care of those things when they arise. Read more »

Prepare for a New Journey

Posted on August 25, 2011 | 0 Comments

This past year I’ve been to more than five different graduations and every one of them seems to have quoted the same thing in a deep and low James Earl Jones kind of voice (well in my mind it sounds like it) “…and now your journey has begun.” Read more »