IT TOOK a random mailshot to alert me to the pleasures of membership of Country Club UK (CCUK), which calls itself "the club for people who enjoy the finer things in life but want to pay less than everybody else for the privilege." For an annual £69 fee, CCUK members collect an automatic gift of welcome - a free return flight to Europe or a Highland Park 18 (years old) single malt whisky - and then go on to savour "perks" like New York return flights for £135, free breaks at country hotels, free bottles of wine at restaurants nationwide, and overnight B&B in London hotels from £88 for two. In the last year, CCUK members splashed £3m on luxury cars, £2m-plus on UK hotel nights, £500,000 on sporting tickets, £240,000 in restaurants - and more besides. For a three-course lunch with champers at The Ritz, they pay £37 - against the usual £54 for everybody else. Says Julie Spencer, who claims to have signed up 40,000 members in five years: "Members like us because we get the best of everything. Hotels love us because our members appreciate them. "If you only use annual membership for a 40% discount on car tyres, or Club Champagne, you recoup your annual fee." Country Club UK is part of a trend this Christmas: with consumer debt topping £1.3 trillion, the case for gifts which ease financial strains is stronger than ever. What do you give an over-60 year old with a central heating boiler less than10 years old? It ain't romantic, but I notice that boiler breakdown service HomeCall+ offers a £30 cashback on annual cover for senior citizens available at £92.40, which covers all repair work and all parts up to £500. That saves a packet on similar cover from British Gas - and HomeCall+ was named a best buy by Which? magazine. ANYBODY over 13 is eligible for The Ministry of Sound PrePay Maestro Card, issued by Newcastle Building Society. It works like a gift voucher or Pay As You Go mobile phone, allowing anyone to upload money to the card (via Post Office, PayPoint outlets or online) which can be used for in-store and online purchases. Cardholders get latest news of new music videos, once a year access to the VIP suite of the famous London nightclub, and regular entry to a draw which could see them appearing in a Ministry of Sound music video. The card - price £9 99 - accesses cash machines around the world showing the Maestro logo. It can avoid the need to carry cash on nights out, while parents can use it to top up student loans and relatives add spending money as a gift. | 
