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?
Marla says
Thank you. This is just what I needed to hear.
Brooke @ HappySimpleMom says
The story on the clothes was such an inspiration! I just quit my corporate America job earlier this year to start a work from home business. I did a closet clean out before quitting, and I had a fantastic business capsule wardrobe. However, I no longer need the suit jackets and nice clothes I used to wear every day. I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to exactly let go of some of the nicer items. While I could sell them, it is so much time and effort, and the money is not an issue. I LOVE the idea of taking them to a local women’s shelter. Some of the jackets are fun colors. I hope they make a woman smile and feel special, just as they did me.
Karen says
There’s a great non profit I follow on Instagram called Uncommon Threads. They provide (for free) women with business attire type clothing and accessories (all donated) and help them put together outfits as they seek employment.
Terry says
I have joined a Buy Nothing local Facebook group (Buy Nothing g is an international movement…and have been giving things away to my community.
Yvonne says
There is another good reason to sell items rather than just donate which is to teach your children the value of money and how items are valued worthy. These sales teach children that if they look after their toys and clothes, they will be valuable to others. It also helps them understand money in a different way if you let them organize, price, and handle the money as well as negotiation. We donate the things that do not sell. We also only hold our sales for an hour or two.
Johnny says
Perhaps Elizabeth is referring to Goodwill in Omaha. Their CEO made over a million each year, and 14 other executives over $100,000, including his daughter. This had been going on for years. Just Google Goodwill Omaha scandal. There’re lots of great non profits, hopefully this one has been cleaned up.
Marlene Linkhart says
I just received your email titled: Should You Donate or Sell Unneeded Possessions…what a lifesaver…thank you! Your email helped solidfy my decision to DONATE all of my mother’s items to a local charity! She’s is moving to a nursing home and I’ve been left with deciding what to do with all of her “things.” I’m now excited to donate it all and feel that your email was “Divine” timing. Thank you for continuing to make such a positive and life-changing impact in my life! I’m so grateful I began my journey with you of minimizing my own life a few years ago. Eternally Grateful!
Patricia says
Thank you for this article. I largely agree with it, but the glut of donated clothing has me concerned. I keep reading articles about how thrift store rejects are being shipped to other countries, destroying their textile industries because they can’t possibly compete with our castoffs. So, I suppose my next goal with the donation process it to try to donate to charities that keep the items circulating locally. I’m not sure that’s always possible, but that’s my next goal. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Wendy says
It’s true that charity shops in richer countries get more donations than they can sell locally. Lately I’ve been trying to buy secondhand where possible, especially clothing. It’s amazing, I’ve never been better dressed, plus I find it easier to let go of items I no longer need because they didn’t cost much. Items are saved from landfill, and the money helps people in need too. Everybody wins!
Trish says
I’ve always liked leaving unwanted items at the end of driveway for others to take. Always free. One time I left a small dog kennel and lawn mower. Mower needed small repairs but otherwise in great condition. Next thing I get a knock on my door and a lady asking if I was sure they were free. She had been taking care of an elderly lady who had moved into a small unit with a courtyard with her little dog. She was so greatful for them as it was just what she needed. Her husband was handy and would fix the mower for her. Seeing how happy this made this woman an knowing it was going to help someone in need was worth more than any money.
Dee says
I agree with everyone who says “donate!” It accomplishes a couple of things… makes you feel good, and it gets stuff out of your house quickly. I donate to a local thrift store that is part of a 501(c)3. One of the things I donated were kitchen canisters that were given to my grandparents when they married in 1932. The canisters weren’t in great shape, but they were in pretty good shape given their age. I didn’t want to burden the thrift store with items they couldn’t sell, so upon arrival I showed them and asked if it was something they could use. The woman showed me a whole section of items from that era. She said people love that stuff because of childhood memories. She told me someone would buy them and display them. I had them in a box in storage. That motivated me to take everything out of storage and give it away. Some things should be enjoyed. And how will anyone enjoy them if they’re stored away. And how “special” is the item if it’s stored away. So I say donate donate donate and move stuff on. There will be someone on the other end glad to get it!
Sheryl from McKinney, Texas says
This article has been so helpful to me! We moved recently, and