RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Frank Barnett has lived in his southeast Raleigh home for about five years.

His preference for saving money has been right in the comfort of his own home.

“It was easier to save if I saw it, cause I saw it grow, versus watching a digital number keep trying to slowly tick up,” Barnett said.

But Barnett is starting from scratch after he said someone broke into his southeast Raleigh home Wednesday afternoon.

Raleigh police responded at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. According to RPD, “unknown suspects” got into the home through a rear window. Police told CBS 17 they took a safe and jewelry.

Barnett told CBS 17 in the safe was his life savings from the past 12 years, worth tens of thousands of dollars.

“We had plans for a down payment on a house. We had plans for trips. Just future investments,” Barnett said. “Probably like the hardest thing about it is it’s something that’s irreplaceable.”

Now, Barnett is asking why.

“I’ve given my life to young people, trying to give back and teaching,” Barnett said. “I would just never assume that I would’ve been a target for something like this.”

Since the break-in, Barnett has taken extra security measures, including installing surveillance cameras.

He’s hopeful to get back to where he once was.

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“It’s going to be as time-consuming to get back to where I was, as far as the comfort of having savings. Real savings. Money that you don’t plan on using until you have a monumental thing you want to do with it,” he said.

Anyone with information about this break-in is asked to call the Raleigh Police Department at (919) 996-3335.

The family has created a GoFundMe to help them out.