An Australian man's $15,000 fortune quickly became his misfortune at the hands of his hungry family this week.

The man, who did not want to be identified out of embarrassment, sold his Toyota Supra sports car for $15,000 on Saturday, stashing the profits in his kitchen oven, MSN affilate 9 News reports.

He intended to make a mortgage payment with the money, but was left penniless after his wife accidentally heated the oven to cook chicken nuggets for the couple's two kids.

"I struggled to breathe, I said 'I burnt the money, I burnt the money'. I felt like I was going to faint," the man's wife told 9 News.

In a policy statement regarding damaged notes, The Reserve Bank of Australia says that each piece should be worth a share of the value in proportion to its size. If less than 20 percent of the note is missing, full face value is paid but, if between 20-80 percent of the note is missing, value is paid in proportion to the percentage remaining.

A representative from Westpac bank, where the man's mortgage is held says, "We will do whatever we can do within the guidelines to accept the damaged cash," according to the Herald Sun.

At least the man isn't living in Canada where new plastic bank notes have reportedly melted after exposure to very high temperatures.