So.. I visited a cash machine.

I visited a cash machine to make a withdrawal. It told me a tale of thrift. Reducing my thermostat by one degree saves £90 a year. Or so it seems.

What if I were to turn off the storage heater in my living room. (I will keep the bedroom one switched on). Could this save £900 a year? I could have two weeks in the sun for this and earn close on 2000 Avios.

What if I were to cure my Type 2 diabetes by no longer eating out? This would let me cut down on carbs and eliminate sugars. The result would be weight loss without calorie counting, a longer life and £780 a year saved.

All I need to do is find another £380 in savings and I have £2000 to spend.

One warm luxury coat.
Two weeks in the sun.
Four weekends away.
Some very nice shirts.
A crate, maybe two of wine.

10,000 Avios (or thereabouts) earned.

Turning waste into Avios.

The easiest way to raise ones living standard is to identify the ways we spend money without noticing- and then spend it on memorable things.

It is a two stage process.

1. I cut down on waste. This is quite different from giving up on luxury purchases which may be enjoyed. Waste is money that slips through the fingers unnoticed.

2. I then actively seek luxury purchases that come with Avios. As a rule the less necessary the purchase the greater the Avios.

I benefit on two levels. Firstly, I enjoy luxury more than fritter money. Secondly, I enjoy the process of collecting the Avios. It is a thrill to see my total rise every few days and I suspect this will be more of a thrill than spending them.

I have 10,055 Avios so far.

Royal Exchange adventure.

Here is an art gallery at the mouth of the Royal Exchange. My hunch is that it is an art gallery for wealthy bankers who are not all that into art. We see Jackie O by Warhol in the window. Two icons in one! Instantly recognizable by the middle aged everywhere!

I am here to drink a cup of coffee in the Fortnum and Mason cafe and to pick up some shopping previously bought online. This will give me in excess of 1000 Avios which is my flexible monthly target.

I was careful to check the prices before ordering. Fortnums supply tea to the Queen and she is known to have a few bob and I (alas) do not. It was expensive (£4.50) but not as expensive as it looks.

A chance to admire the stonework. I always advise visitors to London to look up. Many of its marvels are not found at eye level.

The shop itself is a riot of colour. While I was there I was given tasters of tea and biscuits which anywhere else would not be worth mentioning. In Fortnums it was a genuine treat. On exit, I had a truffle. Too sweet for me but no doubt also good.

Notice the strange names on the chocolate bars. The shop promotes itself on its English eccentricity.

So what did I get for my money? I received some very good tea and some silver spoons. The coffee was good (but not the best I have tasted). Most of all I enjoyed the ambiance and left the Royal Exchange feeling refreshed as if I had been on a mini holiday. I paid about £100 all told.

It is difficult to calculate the value of the Avios but it comes down to about one crate of wine a year provided Avios do not push through another devaluation before I can redeem them.

On the whole I am happy.

Future adventures are found here.