A Turkish man in northern Trabzon province was able to save 45,000 Turkish liras ($11,976US), by collecting loose change over the period of 10 years and buried the money in a jar instead of depositing it to a bank account.

38-year-old Mehmet Ufuk Ayas, who's been running a cafeteria inside a private school in Trabzon, started collecting loose change inside baby formula bottles to save money for a house 10 years ago, but later turned it into a hobby.

He now aims to collect 15,000 more Turkish liras to reach 61,000 ($16,220), signifying 61, the plate number of Trabzon.

He noted that he never spent the money even at times of financial crisis and hopes to reserve some of it for his favorite sports team Trabzonspor.

Ayas said that he chose to bury the money in a jar, claiming that it was the safest place to hide it.

"I opted for a hazelnut field, as there are hazelnut fields everywhere in Trabzon," Ayas said, adding that it would be quite difficult for thieves to find his jar, which is located in a remote area.