Charred Cash: Man Hides $15,000 in the Oven; His Wife Cooks It

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Sure, you may not cook often. But your disused oven probably shouldn’t be repurposed as a storage area — especially not for money.

One man in Sydney, Australia hid cash totaling approximately $15,000 in his oven. His wife, then unknowingly, turned on the oven to preheat it to make some chicken nuggets. What ensued was a burnt and cringeworthy mess. Canadians, perhaps you know the feeling?

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The man, who refused to be identified, had sold his Toyota Supra for $15,000 last Saturday, after which he decided to hide the money in the oven “because his wife never used it.” The money was originally was supposed to go toward making his mortgage; instead, it went toward making the priciest batch of chicken nuggets ever.

Because the bills had melted together (Australia uses plastic bills), the bank refused to accept the notes. The country’s reserve bank accepts damaged bills, but “each piece [is] to be worth a share of the value in proportion to its size.” There is no word on whether he’ll be able to get his cash replaced, but so far the odds don’t look like they’re in his favor.

Might we advise you to stick to your mattress in stashing your valuables?

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Erica Ho is a contributor at TIME and the editor of Map Happy. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.