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I Could Probably Use a Lazy Jar for My Lazy Jar

When I first heard about Lazy Jar, I thought it was an actual jar.  Like you know how some people have a swear jar in their house, and they drop money in it if they curse?  Or they make their kids drop money in it if they curse?  Or something like that?  Anyway, I thought it was a physical jar in your home that you dropped money into whenever you skipped your workout.

But, no, this shit is real.

Lazy Jar is an app that takes your money if you don’t workout.  If you do workout, you get nothing except the good feeling of knowing all of your money is remaining in your wallet.  If you don’t workout, it takes your money.  It begins with a deposit (that you get back eventually if it judges you as having tried to stick to your goals) and then takes away a weekly penalty (that you set) for missing your workout.  It donates most of the money to a charity of its choosing.

It’s sort of brilliant.

Because I skip my workout at least once a week.  I’m a terrible morning person, but I’m great at excuses.  But if I knew that the makers of an app were taking my money, I would (probably) stop hitting snooze as often.

Though it may be more motivating to work toward something than be punished.  Like put a dollar in an account every time you workout so the money builds rather than removes.  And then spend it all on really comfy pyjamas that you don’t want to get out of in the morning!

Okay, maybe taking money would work a little better.

3 comments

1 a { 12.17.17 at 9:41 am }

I know people motivate themselves in different ways, but I can’t think of any circumstances where I would sign up to give money away. Then again, I suppose people already do, by joining gyms they never go to. At least this would go to charity.

2 Cristy { 12.17.17 at 12:43 pm }

I had a coworker who designed a workout incentive program that reminds me of this. If she worked out, she had a reward jar she could pull from that had tickets like “hour long bath” or “buy X book (one that was greatly desired.” If she didn’t meet her goals, then she had a penalty jar: “clean the bathroom at 4 am” or “mow the neighbors lawn” or “do all the household chores for a week (her fiancé loved this one).” The worst was she was forced to buy an Ann Coulter book and read it from cover to cover.

This app would have been kinder.

3 loribeth { 12.31.17 at 6:31 pm }

I would be more apt to use it if the money went to a charity of MY choosing, not theirs. Still, interesting idea.

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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