In the spirit of the old adage “Waste not want not,” I plan to mint my own household currency made from collected disguarded household items such as cough drop wrapping and used tea bags. The newly minted currency can feature a monarchy of family members, a series of beloved pets, various family favorite vacation spots or even momentous and mundane occasions in the family history. Denominations are given value by their varying degrees of detail. The currency is exchanged for such precious and rare luxuries as but not limited to privacy, extra bathroom time, clear and honest communication, or quality time.
With the current state of global financial affairs tumbling toward supposed rapid ruin, this currency can speak to the abstract and representational qualities of money, as well as the family as a nation with potential self-sustaining qualities. Rather than commodity money, which might actually be more useful within the home, the household currency becomes fiat money, taking its worth from how family members perceive it.
The saving and reuse fabrication processes of producing the currency points to methods that women have employed in the home since the beginning of recorded time. Imagery and image-making processes that have been traditionally considered feminine, such as patterns and stitch work, will decorate each hand-made piece of currency. High detail is given high value.
