Almost everybody, at one point or another on their journey to become minimalist, ask themselves a difficult question: What should I do with all the excess possessions I am removing from my home and life?
Should I sell them or donate them?
While each person will ultimately make that decision for themselves, here is a general guideline I have followed and recommended:
If you don’t desperately need the money, you should always donate to a local charity whose mission you believe in. The only exceptions are valuable items or large items you are unable to transport yourself.
This is the solution that benefits the most amount of people: both you and the world around you.
Consider these three reasons why it is better to donate your unneeded possessions rather than sell them:
1. Trying to resell your old, unused items only adds time, effort, and stress to an already burdensome process.
Let’s face it, the process of becoming minimalist for most people is not a simple journey. If you’ve spent the first several decades of your life accumulating as much stuff as you can, getting rid of it is not going to be an overnight process. It’s going to take hard work and intentional focus.
Unfortunately, the process of reselling items you hope to remove from your home takes additional effort: snapping pictures, posting online, answering questions, bartering price, meeting buyers…
To make matters even worse, the amount of money we think we’re going to get for each item rarely materializes. Again, I think exceptions should be made for particularly expensive items, but for the most part, the effort is rarely worth the financial return.
2. Donating your unused possessions provides benefit to others.
Our excess can become a blessing to other people. The items in our closets, our drawers, our basement, or even in the back of our cupboard—almost anything that is still usable—can be used by somebody else. Even if you have no need for an item anymore, almost always somebody in your immediate community can be using it.
I am more convinced than ever that most people want to be generous. If you were to ask a roomful of people, “How many of you want to be known as generous?” 99.9% of hands go up. It’s a pretty small percentage of people who don’t want to be generous. This is something we all want to be true of us.
The problem is, for many people, they just can’t seem to find the margin to become generous. But at the same time, our homes are filled with things we don’t need, items we’ve collected, possessions we’ve accumulated that are unneeded by us. Those items can become the very margin we need to become more generous—and in very specific ways, they can bring help to people and causes in our community.
3. Generosity is not just the byproduct of minimalism, it is also the lifeblood of it.
As we minimize our possessions, we find margin for generosity—not just while we are removing possessions, but as our lives change in the future. Generosity is a byproduct of minimalism.
But I’ve discovered that generosity is not just the byproduct of minimalism, it can also become the very motivating factor that helps us declutter and minimize our possessions as well.
A woman shared her story with me several years ago. She began,
“Look, I’ve been trying to declutter for several months and I’ve actually done a pretty good job of it. I’ve been through many of the rooms in my home. But my closet and my wardrobe, was always going to be the toughest space for me. I love clothes. I love fashion. I knew even before I started I was going to have a hard time getting rid of clothes.
She continued,
Until now, I have not tackled it in any way. However, just last week, everything changed. I was driving downtown, and I happened to drive by our city’s battered women’s shelter. I don’t think I had ever noticed it before. But on that day, I began thinking about the building. I thought about the women living inside, many of whom escaped in the middle of the night from an abusive relationship, with nothing but the clothes on their back and their children in their arms. I saw them leaving, maybe even running, until they found this safe space.
As I thought of the women in the shelter, my mind raced back to my closet—full of beautiful clothes that I hardly ever wear. It occurred to me how much dignity, and how much beauty, and how much honor those clothes could bestow upon those women.
And that thought changed everything for me! I went home, grabbed a bag, and couldn’t fill it fast enough. I found another bag and filled it immediately. The next day, I took several bags of my finest clothes to this women’s shelter, knowing that they needed them more than me. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. They needed them more than I did.
If you have recently discovered the joy of owning less and are beginning the process of becoming minimalist, might I make a suggestion: If you don’t desperately need the money, donate the possessions you are discarding. Find a local charity that you believe in, and donate there.
You will benefit yourself, you will find motivation in the act, and you will bring a positive change to the world around you. What could be better than that?
Wendy Giffen says
Instead of the hassel of selling things I now give high quality nearly new things to my local charity shop I know they will fetch a decent amount of money to the charity and somone will enjoy having them too
Jean Timpel says
I went on a big clearing out binge last summer. We started with the garage so it had lots more space and was organized. Then all the places in the house. We pitched loads of stuff and put the rest in the garage. A few days of organizing, quick low pricing, and a bit of advertising set us up for the neighborhood rummage sale. We made $400. The remainder went straight into our small suv and donated to a favorite thrift shop. It feels so good to get rid of so much.
Christina M. says
My local Buy Nothing group has been a great way to find new homes for my stuff!
Cheryl Cavallaro says
Exactly!! I love the “free cycle” sites! We have some where people ask for items in need and then people offer if they have the item. Example: a lady was looking for a Thomas the Train DVD for her autistic son…and I happened to have a couple from when my children were little…she picked up for free and it was a win/win! Our donation centres are charging an exorbitant amount for items that were donated and people are struggling to pay what they charge!
Naomi Daugherty says
Yes! Goodwill overprices things all the time. I have taken pictures of Dollar store items at Goodwill that were being sold for more than a $1, which is what you pay if you buy it NEW at the Dollar Tree! It’s asinine.
Valerie says
Very nice perspective on this issue. Your thoughts really helped me move along in my decluttering journey! I have been at a standstill because it just feels like such a hurtle to list all my clothes online to sell them and it only makes me focus on the financial aspect which causes me stress because I am at a net loss.
However, the idea that I can gift my clothes to others who truly need them? That is a net gain :)
July says
There are things that can’t be donated but that someone will want, like a lot of collectables. I have sold old brochures and tickets online for not a lot ($15 + postage) but I got enough to buy lunch, made some collector happy, and kept it out of the recycling. On the other hand, I have old comics and such that I can’t sell because the postage is too much on a comic that’s only worth $2. These aren’t things I collect, just things that have been left overlooked in a drawer for years. I have also seen bin loads of framed art in a big name thrift store, all broken up because of the way the store has handled it. I try to be a bit selective about where I send things as a result. Electronics (working or not) go to Good Will, unused stationary and greeting cards to the local small thrift shop where they have racks to display them. Salvation Army chucks all the cards in a big basket that’s hidden under a rack of clothing. If I’m donating something I want it to remain in good condition and reach someone who wants it. Clothing in questionable condition goes to a thrift that will sort and sell it for rags. My friends and I have all had good furniture turned down by the thrift stores because they have too much so it has actually become easier to sell it for next to nothing. One Community Garage Sale Day I put stuff out and just gave it all away.
aao says
No thrift store wants your broken electronics, including Goodwill. Perhaps you can find a recycling center in your community that takes small electronics (e-cycling). There are some places that require a small fee to provide this service, but it’s worth it to do the responsible thing.
Karen says
Our Goodwill takes “anything with a cord.” They recycle broken electronics.
Kathleen Osborne says
We have friends who are in a tough place but they volunteer at a ministry site that helps the needy public. I used to donate directly to the ministry. Now I give everything to this family first. The instructions are they have first dibs on anything, ministry is second. If there is still stuff leftover they can sell it and keep the money or give it away. It is a blessing to me to live smaller, to help this family, and help this ministry. I always have a “Mindy” bag/box ready to fill.
Diane says
For people leaving corporate jobs, donate clothes (esp suits), shoes, jewelry, and purses to “Dress For Success”. They train and provide interview outfits to women. I am in Houston, not sure where else they are located.
Betsy says
Interesting. We are neighbor! I am in North Carolina, and I’ll keep an eye for this in my area. Help is always a talk away. Thanks
Caroline Mays says
Thanks for sharing! Some of these specific suggestions are great, because Goodwill and other thrift shops only sell a small percentage of all their donations. Unfortunately, most of what we in the US donate to thrift shops will be sent off to other countries.
It sounds like Dress for Success and some of these other charities may use more donations by intentionally matching them with clients who need them!
Grace says
My kids always got hand me downs from people. Occassionly I bought new but not often. Being a very young widow with four children the oldest being 7, it really helped us.
Babz says
I know this article is a bit old but what about giving to regular people that you know? I’ve done this for years and it works out for me.
Grace says
My kids always got hand me downs from people. Occassionly I bought new but not often. Being a very young widow with four children the oldest being 7, it really helped us.