We had purchased a beautiful (expensive!) Queen sized mattress and a low profile split Queen sized box spring 4 years ago. The Sleep Country salesman convinced us that this box spring would make our lives because it would make our mattress last like, "10 years longer". He upsold us on the low profile split version (pictured), because he said this would be easier to fit in the kind of bed frame we were looking for (lies!) and it would be easier to move (true). So we splurged.

Now we have a gently used box spring blocking the hallway while we figure out what to do with it. I thought this would be a nice donation to a homeless shelter and called around to different organizations in the city only to be told they do not take anything to do with beds for health and safety reasons because, "You never know who has been sleeping on that." True, but then what about hotels?

After much searching I came across the Furniture Bank. Good news! They accept box springs! Bad news! They charge you $100 to come and pick it up! That leaves us with two choices: Pay $25 to have the city pick it up on garbage day and throw it in a landfill or Pay $100 to "donate" it.

We even tried to sell it (best offer!), but it seems no one realized how incredibly valuable a high end low profile split queen sized box spring truly is. Perhaps I should call that Sleep Country salesman to see if he'd like to buy it back, since he thinks it was such a great investment.

What irks me the most about this situation is not that we wasted our money on something useless, but that we'll have to throw something that big and in immaculate condition into a landfill. I wonder how many quality perfectly reusable things are in the garbage that could and should have been reused? I feel quite guilty about that kind of waste, but spending $100 to donate it, is too much. Isn't there a shortage of beds in the city? Isn't there a need for furniture and other household items for families who are struggling financially? It just seems really wrong to me that our city is so ill- equipped to reuse and help those in need.

Yes, it is expensive having a truck drive around picking up donations, sorting and storing items, but if we're not willing to spend $100 to donate our furniture, chances are, neither are a lot of people. Imagine what could be done with all of that stuff. There must be a better way.

What you would you do? Pay $25 and take it out with the trash or pay $100 to donate it?