The late millionaire Michael Winner spread many unconventional views on wealth through his newspaper columns

  Photo: Daily Mail

It was 10 years ago that famed British film director and restaurant critic Michael Winner passed away.

But I often re-read the columns he wrote for the UK Daily Mail, because he had a cheeky wit I enjoyed.

In one of these articles, he ordered us to spend, and spend heavily.

He said – tongue in cheek – that it helped everyone from businesses to boost the economy.

Of course, it helped spenders like lottery winners too, but that was his point.

In this column he gave us these amusing points about why we should spend as much as we can:

“Feeling glum? ­Government cuts and the recession getting to you? Here’s the best way to bring a smile to your face: spend, spend and spend again. You can’t afford it? You probably can. You’re just too mean or cautious to give it a go.

Every time you spend, you keep people working. Manufacturers, salespeople, factory staff — so when you blow money, you’re not only buying fun for yourself — you’re doing the nation a service. Look on it as an act of charity.

A multi-billionaire recently told me about how he travels on easyJet and pays £10 to get ahead of the queue and into better seats. I said: ‘Are you crazy? With your money you could avoid the horror of airports. Just go to a small, ­private building, walk through, get on a private jet and travel in style and comfort.’ ‘I couldn’t do that,’ he responded. ‘It costs too much.’

I said: ‘The first person in your family who inherits your money and spends it properly — to enrich his own life — is going to have a marvellous time. What are you saving for? To buy a plastic ­Christmas tree from Homebase?’

I’m not suggesting you all go on private jets, delightful as it is. But, in your own way, make life happier by spending on things you like.

Don’t tell me you’ve got to leave something for the children. Let them make their own way in life.”

– Michael Winner

Our lottery takeaway on his lifestyle advice? Spend more to win more.

Many lottery players don’t spend enough on their tickets. Because spending more improves your winning chances by a lot.

Michael Winner at his large home in London

  Photo: Daily Mail

Are you worried about overspending? You don’t have to be… most of us have a built-in restraint-o-meter. It usually tells us when we’re going too crazy.

But you can always spend more on tickets and scratch-offs – if you can afford it.

Try it and see the improvement you get.

WINNER:
“I’ll tell you how I see life. It’s made of thousands of small mosaic tiles”…

The aptly named Winner finished off by saying: “I’ll tell you how I see life. It’s made of thousands of small mosaic tiles. A mosaic tile for every day of your life. Many of them will be grey. Those are days when you were not happy.”

“Some of them are gold. Those are days which you really enjoyed. You must do all you can to see that the gold mosaic tiles flourish and grow and that the grey mosaic tiles are as few as possible.”

“On the golden mosaic days, you’ve won. You’ve won that day. On the grey mosaic days, you lost. Life was a drag, a waste of time.”