If you could add a zero?

I like the amount of houses I own. Currently one, and I don't want to move. But I was visiting a relative yesterday and I felt so sad about where she lives. The area is terrible, unsafe and her house is damp. She can't work because of ill health and doesn't really have any options. Also my sibling is going through a divorce, and to take the stress out of it by being able to give the family a house would be massive. I've got late teen and young adult kids, one at home and one at uni. They could have a house each to get them started.
My mum retires next year and doesn't pay her mortgage off for another 4 years. I'd give her a house. I'd keep one for a seaside bolt hole, or maybe a trendy city apartment for weekends away. Then 4 to sell which would more than cover the tax bill. Or i could rent at reasonable prices to families in need.

Money can buy you health.

I have used my health benefits at work to get dietician advice when the NHS was rubbish, physio, personal training, a chef to cook you nutritious and healthy food.

We should NEVER underestimate how money can be used to add choices to your life.

Though I'll be lazy and copy a PP - weeks of annual leave.

With 60 weeks of annual leave, it would actually boost my salary 10% automatically as they'd have to sell it back to me each year, so I'd be paid to do nothing. With annual salary increases added, the result would be a very nice package indeed. I wouldn't need to retire at 55 as planned, so my pension would be much bigger.

The only possible other choice for me would be to years of life expectancy if it was under 5 and I was under 80.

I was struggling with this too but I think I’ve figured it out.

If you say “add zero” it’s a sum, so 8+0=8

If you say “add A zero” you’d write 80.

Other posters feel free to correct me if I’ve misunderstood 🙂

To the balance in our retirement savings - we’re empty-nesters, three years away from retirement.
Work would be ditched immediately
We’d buy a little bolt hole near to where our kids live so we could ‘visit’ them and help without actually staying with them or putting them out.
We’d treat the family to a lovely holiday, all together, once a year and just generally treat them and help make life sweeter.

Well, Birkenstock Boston are quite expensive...

Not very feminist but my husbands salary, then I could give up work. I’m disabled and really struggling to keep working so my salary wouldn’t really help.

I thought that this was a weird post.
I mean, who cares about the life expectancy of c l o g s ?
I think that I need to add a zero to my 2/20 vision.

The life expectancy of dogs.

This is exactly what I was going to post. Thank you for helping me feel less alone!

The number of days in the year when neither my husband or I wake up with painful joints.

@YouveGotNoBloodyIdea please could you explain what you mean by add zero versus add a zero, as I don’t understand!

Taking it as adding a zero on the end, theoretically mine would be months left to live.

@YouWillNeverGuessMyUsername I don’t think “every single person is focused on money at all”. Mine is a hard choice, I could add a zero on my life expectancy but realistically adding a zero on my savings would benefit my DC hugely so if was not theoretical I would probably actually choose this for them.

I've already answered.

The amount of trees in the world
The amount of books I could read in a month.

I haven't heard that differentiation before... so, if I said I had ten pence in my pocket and had added a 2, you'd assume I meant I now had £1.02 and not 12p?

I love examples of how we interpret things differently - I've not come across that one before and now I'm wondering how common it is!

Ironically enough, I've been tangentially involved in assessment for trainee primary teachers (decades ago now) and picked up on this exact language, and was commended for it.
If you are teaching kids maths and you use the word "add" or the terms "add zero" or "add a zero" when you mean something completely different from number addition, you are introducing confusion. Writing a digit in a set place isn't "adding" anything when you're talking about numbers and children are being taught the concept of place value. Addition has a specific meaning that isn't "writing a digit" or "multiply".

Now, I do understand that a MN post isn't a school lesson. I just found it mildly amusing that at one point in my life it's been appreciated that I recommend clarity in communication - and regarding this exact usage! - but in others I get told I shouldn't.

As for a non-money-related answer, a pp upthread had a good idea about acres of green space left in the world.

What would you add a zero to?

Oh dear @LamentableShoes - if you were one of my students I would say, in my comments, you must learn to read the question carefully and answer the problem as stated, not the one you assume it is. There is a difference between “add zero to number N” and “add A zero to number N”. The Op asked for the latter.

It's interesting that nearly every single person is focused on money.

Really difficult question! I’m retired so not salary or days off. Absolutely do not want to outlive my DH and family, so not to my lifespan. I do not need ten times more money, although I’m sure I could find a way to spend it. It would be a lot more hassle to have 10x more homes, but I could give them to members I suppose.

I think I have to choose days with my DGS’s - that would make an enormous impact on our relationship and ensure they have many memories of time together.

I think I’d step down to a less stressful job and then add the zero.

Number of years I'll live (while remaining healthy). I want to see the world in 700+ years.

... starts writing a begging letter to my Zero-Shero ...
Flattery always helps, non? (see what I did there)

I’m ok with that 😀

Yes this is why I wouldn't choose the salary one. Too unpredictable.

This is interesting.
Say you will receive £10k in your life.
Add a zero makes it £100K
So now you will receive £100k in your life.
So adding a zero makes it £1m.
So now you will receive £1m in your life.
So adding a zero ... ad infinitum ...

There will be no money left for the rest of us!

I think house value too. Sorts out many problems in one go!

This is why this is such a great question. It’s like a monkey’s paw thing – you can change one number but nothing else, so every decision comes with costs (I now have 270 years to face increasing decrepitude), even the most harmless ones (now I have ten gardens to manage and no extra cash for plants).

The salary answer is such a cop out. Though maybe now your company goes bust!