Sometimes, we tend to work hard, here at the Abfabulies home. So hard, that sometimes we have a verbal overflow. When we are cutting plywood, for instance, and we took the wrong measurements. Or when the cat decides to swirl in front of our feet on a dark staircase (no lights yet, remember?), preferably when we are carrying a toddler. Or when the sewing machine is acting up again. At those particular moments, a swear word may just escape our lips.

Neutrally speaking, I don’t really mind swearing now and then. It’s been proven that it’s healthier to let out your frustrations that way, and not hold everything in. But that does not go for the toddler that lives in this house, who may just repeat those words (hypothetically speaking, of course). And a toddler who swears, I’m not really into that.

So, we introduced the swear jar. Fee: 50 cents per swear word.

For those of us who have a hard time learning: prepaid swearing is allowed. 5 euros buys you 11 swear words. Good customer experience, that’s what we aim for.

Our swear jar itself is actually a cookie tin.

How to make the jar

1. Take one for the team, and finish the cookie tin off.
2. Take off the label.
3. Draw a slit on the lid of 1 by 5 cm (give or take, just make sure you can insert notes too, prepaid for the win).
4. Cut the slit. I used a kitchen knife, but there are better appliences out there. Be careful.
5. File the edges, so you won’t cut yourself.
6. Print the label.
7. Cut out the label, and glue it on the tin.
8. Swear because the label isn’t large enough to cover the whole tin. That’s 50 cents for the tin already!
9. Rattle the tin every time someone swears.
10. Decide what to do with the money.

And now let’s see whether it helps or not…