Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice 3498: Why You Should Stop Donating Your Stuff (and Do This First) by Anthony Ongaro of Break The Twitch
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Mar 22, 2026 The conversation challenges the habit of automatically donating unwanted items and explains why donation centers get overloaded. It explores selling stuff first to recover value and force more intentional consumption. It highlights exceptions where donations make sense and argues that paying for used goods can extend product lifecycles and reduce waste.
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Sell Items Before You Donate
- Sell items before donating to recapture money and reduce waste.
- Anthony Ongaro and Justin Malik describe selling furniture and gear during a move to get cash back and reinforce intentional buying.
Selling Reinforces Intentional Consumption
- Processing and selling each item forces behavioral change toward less consumption.
- Ongaro says the effort of listing and selling items during a big move helped him and his partner buy more intentionally afterward.
If You Can't Sell It It Probably Won't Resell
- If an item won't sell from you, donation centers probably can't resell it either.
- Ongaro recommends researching local organizations that will actually use towels, toiletries, or books before donating.