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AIBU?

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Original poster

If you could add a zero?

154 replies

FlayOtters · 22/01/2026 18:42

Shamelessly posting here for traffic - interesting hypothetical question came up at a work event last night:
"If you could add a zero to any number in your life, what would it be?"
I eventually settled on my salary but answers ranged from 'number of languages I can speak' to 'number of years I'll be alive' and 'number of weeks annual leave I get'
So.... where would your 'zero' go?

OP posts:
YouveGotNoBloodyIdea · 22/01/2026 22:31

I'm on a small pension, so upping that from around £1K a month to £10k would do me nicely thanks! Haven't had a holiday in 8yrs and have always fancied a cruise......

patooties · 22/01/2026 22:31

Salary - it would give me time to enjoy all the shit I’ve worked like a fucking dog for…

Bikergran · 22/01/2026 22:30

To my savings/investment pot, so that I could help my kids to buy property.

BunnyLake · 22/01/2026 22:28

LookingThroughGlass · 22/01/2026 22:02

I'd add it to the value of my house, then I could sell it and retire. Theoretically possible to x its value by 10 if I could load it onto the back of a lorry and put it back down again in London 😆

I have fantasised about that more than once 😄 If I could put my house and garden somewhere like Crouch End, Barnes or Belsize Park it would be like winning the lottery.

BunnyLake · 22/01/2026 22:23

I’d have to toss a coin between my house (might not sell) or my work pension. I could live very nicely with an extra 0 on my work pension, but if my house would sell with the extra 0 then I would choose that as I’d be a millionaire and could buy my kids a place each. .

Paperwhite209 · 22/01/2026 22:09

LaurieFairyCake · 22/01/2026 18:53

To my house value. Then I could sell it and stop work 😬

This is an excellent plan!

parietal · 22/01/2026 22:03

Number of trees in the world would be a v interesting one, suggested above. Where would they all grow? but it would be good for the planet, probably.

my child would say number of penguins in the world.

LookingThroughGlass · 22/01/2026 22:02

I'd add it to the value of my house, then I could sell it and retire. Theoretically possible to x its value by 10 if I could load it onto the back of a lorry and put it back down again in London 😆

Original poster
FlayOtters · 22/01/2026 22:01

Oof some of these have hit really hard. Feeling very grateful that I was torn between money options and not caring for unwell loved ones x

OP posts:
LamentableShoes · 22/01/2026 22:00

Adding a zero to any number doesn't change that number in any way.

Are we assuming they meant "multiply by ten" but couldn't quite manage it?

Pamcakey · 22/01/2026 21:59

I think salary.
I could then go part time; maybe half my hours, buy an extra week’s annual leave and still have a very nice take home pay with lots of time off.

I thought about annual leave as I’d virtually never work but my workload wouldn’t decrease so when I did work, it would be stressful and unsatisfying. I also thought about acerage (I live on a small holding and would love more land) but the extra salary would make it realistic for me to buy some of the surrounding land.

It would all work very nicely, I think.

Evaporateandlisten · 22/01/2026 21:56

Some of these replies are heartbreaking.

crowsfleet · 22/01/2026 21:51

number of lives we get, or add a zero to the net worth

Thesuperlativesistillloveyou · 22/01/2026 21:48

0 days my DW is in pain from osteoarthritis and a congenital leg condition.

RidingAWave · 22/01/2026 21:35

Salary, then i could save more and retire very early. I would also put as much of my salary into my pension as I could.

HappyTomato · 22/01/2026 21:31

Princessoflitchenstein · 22/01/2026 20:11

The number of years left until anyone in my immediate family dies. Eg 1 year becomes 10

Ok this is really interesting.
I was going with adding a zero onto my savings, my house value etc.

I definitely don’t want to live until I’m 450.

but your post made me think.

I’ve got terminal cancer and have a life expectancy of 1-2 years. If I got 10-20 years I’d give up anything I own in a heartbeat. . Thinking about this has made me cry.

Mummyto3ginismyfriend · 22/01/2026 21:24

To my days annual leave. I get 30 so I would then get 300 and with weekends I wouldn't have to work and still get my full salary!!

Mysterian · 22/01/2026 21:22

Number of fit and healthy years left. Get me to about 350.

SquashGnocci · 22/01/2026 21:22

My monthly take home pay after tax 🤣

notnorman · 22/01/2026 21:21

House price!

CypressGrove · 22/01/2026 21:20

Princesspollyyy · 22/01/2026 19:40

Surely the only answer is the salary??!

Depends on your age - 10 years ago I would have said salary but now I'd say savings (including pension) so I can stop working straight away!!

CaptainSevenofNine · 22/01/2026 21:18

Could I add it to my net worth? Then that would encompass my salary, my pension, my savings and my house value!

worstofbothworlds · 22/01/2026 21:14

I'm an academic so I'd add 3 zeros to the amount of research funding I have (currently around £10K.
Actually even one zero would help as I could pay for a PhD student with £100K.

SouthernNights59 · 22/01/2026 21:12

I would add it to my savings. I'm retired but don't have enough to buy a flat so that would fix that. I don't want it added to my age!!

JanuaryJasmine · 22/01/2026 21:11

Ohthatsabitshit · 22/01/2026 21:04

The number of people I could rely on to care for and love my disabled son after my death.

I felt my heart break there, if I get/win it, you can have my zero! 💕