When it comes to storing large amounts of money in your home, underneath the mattress has long been the venue of choice. But when an Australian man sold his car for $15,000, he thought he had come up with a better place to bank the cash.

Since neither the man nor his wife ever cooked, he figured he could finally make use of the oven by hiding the bills there.

Well, you've probably already figured out what happens next. His wife uncharacteristically decided to heat up some chicken nuggets for their kids and ended up with a side of extra crispy cash.

"I struggled to breathe, I said 'I burnt the money, I burnt the money'. I felt like I was going to faint," the wife recounted.

To make matters worse, the family had been struggling financially -- which is why they had sold the car -- and the money amounted to their life savings.

The family was rebuffed when they took the burnt money to the bank and attempted to swap it for pre-cooked bills. They may eventually get some recourse, however, as Australian regulations state that a piece of damaged money can be exchange for a value in proportion to its diminished size.

Nevertheless, somebody is really kicking himself for not just sticking the cash in the freezer.

More From TheFW