This toddler shredded $1,000 of his parents’ cash

Crumpled Cash
Flickr | Tax Credits

What would you do if you found $1,060 dollars of your hard-earned money shredded into bits? Well, for one Utah couple, they managed to keep it cool.

Ben and Jackee Belnap left out an envelope with over a grand in it. The couple was saving the money to reimburse Ben’s parents for University of Utah season football tickets, and left the envelope on the counter so they would remember to grab it and take it with them that weekend.

But once the envelope went missing, the couple began to search the house, without avail.

“We realized it was gone the next day and started to search. We searched everywhere in our house and could not find it,” Jackee told CBS News. “I have a bin where I put junk mail and any files I want shredded and my son and I shred it when it gets full. I looked through that and then it made me think to look in the shredder.”

Sure enough, Jackee found the money, though the cash was no longer in its original form. Leo, their 2-year-old son, had somehow gotten his hands on the envelope and put it through the shredder. The couple had a feeling the money may have found its way there as their toddler oftentimes helps them shred the junk mail.

And who can blame him? Shredding is fun! Not to mention that poor Leo had no idea that what he did was wrong. What’s money to a 2-year-old, right?

Here’s the pic Ben posted to Twitter:

“We were silent for about five minutes and just sorted money out and then I broke the silence and said, ‘this will make a great wedding story someday,'” said Jackee. “Leo had no idea he did anything wrong. It felt unfair to get mad and he probably doesn’t even know what cash is as we use our credit card for almost everything.”

The good news? There’s a service provided by the government to redeem mutilated currency, for free. According to the government website, “The most common causes are: fire, water, chemicals, and explosives; animal, insect, or rodent damage; and petrification or deterioration by burying.”

Though shredding isn’t listed, it’s covered. That said, it takes anywhere from six months to three years to get your money back. Totally worth the wait, though!

Family & Parenting, Humor & Funny, Money, News

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About the Author
Chelsea Davis
Chelsea is a freelance journalist based in New York City whose passion revolves around traveling the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine. Follow her on Instagram at @cheycheyfromthebay and keep up with her latest work at www.chelseadavis.com.

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