A man who found $5000 in a chest of drawers he bought off Trade Me is being praised after he returned the money as a lesson to his children.

Schoolteacher Kev Derecourt was doing it tough after a rough break-up. He was trying to set up a new house for his kids, so picked up some cheap furniture for $60 from Rotowaro, near Huntly.

"I got home and unloaded it and it had liners in the drawers. I said 'oh, it hasn't been cleaned out'," he told Newshub. "Then I saw a bag under there and pulled it out."

When he opened it he saw the flash of red banknotes and immediately thought "shit there's money in there!"