A toddler in the US has taken the "terrible twos" to a whole new level after managing to feed $1000 through a paper shredder to the horror of his parents.
Two-year-old Leo Belnap from the Salt Lake City area in Utah stunned his parents earlier this week after they noticed an important envelope carrying US$1060 (NZ$1645) was missing.
"I'm digging through the trash," father Ben Belnap told KSL, "and [Jackee] hollers and says, 'I found it.'"
Leo's mother had discovered the money in the shredder - in thousands of tiny pieces.
Mrs Belnap said she knew immediately her son was the culprit because he had been helping her shred junk mail and documents prior - apparently, little Leo thought he was helping this time too.
Mrs Belnap admits she cried at first but it was followed shortly after by laughter.
"As devastated and as sick as we were, this was one of those moments where you just have to laugh," she said.
The money was meant to go to Mr Belnap's mother to pay for season tickets to watch the University of Utah's American football team but instead it's heading to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's "Mutilated Currency Division".
The unit will attempt to piece the money back together so that the Belnap's can get their money back, although that process could take anywhere between six months and three years with approximately 30,000 claims filed each year.
But the Belnaps say they already have some value from the experience.
"Most people say, 'oh my kid drew on the wall' - I've never heard of a kid shredding a grand.
"this will make a great wedding story one day."
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