Clayton, N.C. — Since 5 on Your Side began helping consumers find unclaimed cash more than six years ago, at least 80 people have recovered more than $257,000.

That includes Kris Zawadski, of Clayton, who found out that it could come from another state.

The North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer holds unclaimed property – for example, money from bank accounts, leftover paychecks, old insurance policies – usually because a company has usually lost track of a consumer.

For Zawadski, it was nearly $1,650 from an escrow account held in her name by the state of Nevada, where she lived nearly 10 years ago before moving to North Carolina.

After seeing a 5 on Your Side story about how others found unclaimed money that belonged to them, Zawadski went online and did her own search for unclaimed property.

"I was stunned," Zawadski said. "And I would imagine, like most people, you never in a million years thought you would lose track of $1,650. No, that's a lot of money to lose track of."

Zawadski plans to use the newfound money to buy an air conditioner – not too exciting, she says, but necessary.

She says she does have one little extra something planned.

"I am going to do one fun thing. I am going to go see 'Phantom of the Opera' with my daughter," Zawadski said "That's going to be my birthday present this year."

And she has a little advice for others who might think there's no unclaimed cash out there for them.

"You've got to check. It takes a whole five minutes," she said. "I didn't think so, but look what I came out with. It was incredible. And I'm pleased to pieces."

Besides checking online at the state treasurer's unclaimed property Web site, NCcash.com, consumers can also call the Unclaimed Property Division of the state treasurer's office at 919-508-1000.

Nearly $33 billion in unclaimed property sits in state treasuries across the nation. In North Carolina, there are approximately 1 million people with $700 million unclaimed.