Man donates old couch to charity shop, later remembers it contained $30,000 cash

It may not be the best-looking couch, or in the best condition.

But it could be the most wanted couch in Australia.

No longer loved by owner George*, he donated the grey and brown leather sectional to an op-shop in southeast Queensland this year.

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It wasn’t until weeks later that he realised he had left his life savings in cash stuffed inside the couch.

The couch was part of a set of five. With retiree George about to undergo a renovation to sell his house and downsize, he decided to give away three of the sections.

A Queensland man has donated a couch that contained his life-savings in cash. Credit: Supplied

He knew he had up to $30,000 stashed in one of the sections — but believed it was in one of those he was keeping.

With the stress of the “mammoth exercise” of packing and moving, it wasn’t until weeks later he realised his mistake.

“I didn’t even think about it for a few weeks. It wasn’t on my radar,” George told 7NEWS.com.au.

His efforts so far have failed to recover the couch.

He called the op-shop which was able to establish the couch was sold within “a couple of days” of being donated.

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Staff checked delivery records, only to determine the furniture was picked up, making it impossible to trace who bought it.

“I think the bit that really hurts is that I’ve done this to myself, and I can’t believe how bloody stupid I was, honestly,” George said.

“I really did have to stop and say, ‘You’re human, you made a mistake, if you don’t repeat it you’ve learned a valuable lesson — and an expensive one’.

“I’ll move on. It just hurts.”

‘It’s gone’

He has posted online offering a reward so that he might get some of the money back.

But if that doesn’t happen, he holds out hope that perhaps he has gifted someone a better life.

“If I get a portion back, I’ll be happy. But I think it’s gone,” he said.

“There are a lot of people in dire need. Maybe it’ll transform someone’s life.”

* Not his real name. 7NEWS.com.au has withheld his location to protect his identity at his request.

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