Can we talk about whether to trash or donate broken stuff?

So last week my 15 year old coffee maker finally gave out. The heating element died mid brew and I had this puddle of grounds on the counter. I sat there staring at it for like 10 minutes trying to decide if I should toss it or drag it to Goodwill. Part of me thinks donating broken stuff just shifts the problem to someone else who has to deal with it. But the other part hates sending anything to the landfill if there's even a tiny chance it could get fixed. I ended up throwing it away because the repair would cost more than a new one. What do you all do when something breaks and you're trying to declutter? Do you trash it right away or try to find a home for it first?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_taylor2125d ago

Toss it if fixing costs more than buying new.

cole_baker25d ago

That reminds me of that video where the guy compared repair costs for a 10 year old fridge and a new one. You make a good point @paul_taylor21, sometimes the math just doesn't work out for fixing it.

mia70025d ago

Yeah @cole_baker basically nailed it. If the repair quote is over half the price of a new one, I'm not even thinking twice.