BuckGet

Buck up your life with BuckGet! An early wage access app that DOESNT put you into a cycle of debt! Only take out what you need and keep the rest in buckets of your financial dreams!

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BuckGet: Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle

Buck up with BuckGet 🪣

What Inspired Us, Some Baldi 🪣

You know that feeling when your car tyre goes flat two days before payday and you're staring at your bank account like it's going to magically produce money? Yeah, that was me last year.

But here's the thing that really got me fired up: I noticed how my friends kept getting trapped in these early wage access cycles. They'd use apps that promise "quick cash before payday," or "buy now pay later," only to find themselves constantly borrowing from their future selves. It's like financial quicksand - the more you struggle, the deeper you sink.

The math is brutal too. If you're earning RM2000/month and taking RM200 early with fees, you're essentially paying:

$$\text{Effective Interest} = \frac{\text{Fee}}{\text{Principal}} \times \frac{365}{\text{Days}} \times 100\%$$

That's often 300%+ annual interest!

I thought: what if we could give people emergency access to their money WITHOUT the debt trap?

What We Learned

Building BuckGet taught me that financial wellness isn't just about having money - it's about having control over your money.

The research phase was eye-opening. I discovered that 63% of Malaysians live paycheck-to-paycheck, but the problem wasn't just cash flow - it was the psychological stress of choosing between immediate needs and long-term goals.

Here's what clicked: people don't need unlimited access to future wages; they need structured access that protects their future selves.

How We Built It

The Core Algorithm 🧮

BuckGet's heart is the Daily Cap System:

const dailyCap = (monthlyWage / 30) * workDaysCompleted
const availableToday = Math.min(dailyCap, userRequest)
const bucketAllocation = dailyCap - availableToday

This ensures users can only access what they've already earned, never more.

The Bucket System 💰

Every ringgit not withdrawn goes into user-defined "buckets":

  • Emergency Fund (automatic 20% allocation)
  • Dream Goals (PS5, anyone?)
  • Bill Preparation (rent, utilities)

The psychological trick? Making saving feel automatic rather than sacrificial.

AI Agent Financial Guide💰

Talking about money hurts, sucks and is never pleasing (unless you're receiving them!) Luckily we made one of the cutest agents Botl the Axolotl (pronounced like bottle) to help!

  • Botl helps and estimates how much you need to put (so you don't have to count)
  • Talk about Dream Goals and Botl will arrange! (Botl loves filling up buckets!)
  • Basic Financial Tips & Tricks! (Stay on track with all your finances without stress!)

Every ringgit not withdrawn goes into user-defined "buckets":

  • Emergency Fund (automatic 20% allocation)
  • Dream Goals (PS5, anyone?)
  • Bill Preparation (rent, utilities)

Botl is so lovely they want to swim on every bucket of your financial dreams!

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: React Native, Figma
  • Backend: Node.js with Express
  • Database: PostgreSQL for transaction integrity
  • Security: OAuth 2.0 + bank-grade encryption

Challenges We Faced

1. The Trust Problem 🤝

How do you convince someone to trust a new fintech app with their wages?

Solution: Started with a closed beta among my university network. Nothing builds trust like word-of-mouth from people you actually know.

2. Bank Integration Nightmare 🏦

Malaysian banks aren't exactly known for developer-friendly APIs.

Lesson learned: Always do more research before tackling anything about capitalism and finance!

3. The Psychology of Money 🧠

We're afraid that users will keep trying to withdraw their full available amount. The whole point was to encourage saving!

The Real Win 🏆

The Real Win is when a bunch of some baldis (buckets) decided to come together out of the blue to solve a problem that people rarely want to solve. We tried our best despite being strangers and made something in less than 24hrs!

Anyway, BuckGet isn't just about accessing money early - it's about financial confidence. When you know you can handle emergencies AND still reach your goals, that paycheck-to-paycheck anxiety starts to fade.

Because sometimes, the best way to buck the system is to build a better one. 🚀

We also want to say a special thanks to all the organisers that helped to build this, thank you for giving all of us a chance!

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