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The True Cost of Ownership: Why I Just Say No to free stuff

No free piles for me.

Rebecca | Your House Machine's avatar
Rebecca | Your House Machine
May 02, 2025
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Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

I once sold a rental property that had been a furnished long-term rental. I needed to quickly clear out all the furniture and kitchen items before the new buyer moved in. So I asked friends and family if they wanted any of the furnishings.

Every single person, when walking through the house, asked “But don’t YOU want these things?”

It was hard to put into words succinctly why I didn’t, beyond “Absolutely not!”

Here I’ll work out a more complete answer.

This week’s post is part of a series I’m calling The True of Ownership. There are hidden costs in all kinds of ownership and we work to unpack that here. Read Part 1 about the true cost of luxury items.

Free things are seductive. People in my city love to leave free stuff on the street corners, and it can be hard to resist looking through what’s on offer.

Free! How can you beat that?

But I’ve learned from decades of falling for “free” that the cost hits you later, and it can be hefty. Here are some of the hidden costs of that free item you just scored:

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