A 'quit number' is the amount of liquid savings at which you could leave your current job without immediate financial pressure. Most women never calculate it. Knowing the number changes how you negotiate, what you tolerate, and how you evaluate opportunities.
How to calculate
Monthly essential expenses × 12-18 months = quit number. For many UK households, this is £40-80k. Build it deliberately in a high-yield savings account or accessible investments. This is different from emergency fund (which covers shorter-term gaps) — it's specifically your career-leverage fund.
What having it changes
Salary negotiations land differently when you can walk away. Tolerance for terrible managers drops sharply (you can leave). Career risk-taking becomes possible. Some women find they keep working at the same job for years after hitting their quit number — they just feel different about it.
Calculate your number. Build toward it deliberately. The freedom it provides is among the most underrated forms of wealth women can build.