Laid off a week after spending $10K on furniture, Reddit user asks: Should I return it?

However, just a week later, they were laid off, though they are being retained for 12 months with a retention bonus equal to six months' salary.

Written by Shubham Chhabra

August 5, 2025 18:13 IST

A 32-year-old employee shared on Reddit how a major layoff turned their long-awaited reward into a dilemma. After five years of job security, they decided to splurge on $10,000 worth of new living room furniture.

Layoffs news: A 32-year-old employee shared on Reddit how a major layoff turned their long-awaited reward into a dilemma. After five years of job security, they decided to splurge on $10,000 worth of new living room furniture. However, just a week later, they were laid off, though they are being retained for 12 months with a retention bonus equal to six months’ salary.

Community Divided Over Whether to Return the Furniture

The user asked if they should return the furniture, despite restocking fees. One Reddit user responded, “Absolutely. Assuming you still have the old stuff. I also am floored you spent $10k on furniture for just one room! But that’s a separate issue lol. Which pieces did you get, what did they cost, and what is the state of the pieces they replaced? Maybe not all the pieces are worth returning.”

Another user suggested a middle-ground approach, advising a partial return of non-essential items.

Advice to Keep Essentials and Return Extras

Another Redditor explained, “I’d suggest compromise on this one. Keep half and return half, or close to it. Take a look at what you bought and analyze what makes the most sense to keep for longevity’s sake. Immediately set aside for return any items that are ‘nice to have’ or decorative.

Then categorize the rest as functional/non-essential (end tables or ottomans) vs functional/essential (sofas and TV stand). Then make decisions from the non-essential list. Make trade offs from either side of the equation based on items that you have done without for many years bc you didn’t have the extra money to buy it. Like the end table might not be essential but if it was a special purchase this time, trade it for the TV stand and mount everything on the wall.

Then you will still be able to enjoy part of what you rewarded yourself with after years of hard work and living with secondhand furniture, but also not feel guilty about it because you were responsible enough to return the non-essential items to put some money back in the bank.”