Spending Money to gain experience points

For the new campaign, I'm intending to use a system whereby characters gain experience points, not for treasure taken, but rather for treasure spent.  This is similar to what Dave Arneson published in his "First Fantasy Campaign" and presumably what he used in the original Blackmoor game.  His was a bit simpler, and perhaps a bit more lurid.

I used a system similar to the one below for Return of the Trolls, and it was one of my favorite features of the game.  Here's a version edited for AD&D:

SPENDING FOR EXPERIENCE POINTS

Winning and spending treasure is a key aspect of gaining experience points.  Characters get experience points equal to the value of treasure, when that treasure is spent or allocated.   If the spending is clearly detailed and described, then the experience points are awarded on a 1 to 1 basis (1 experience points per gold piece).  If the spending is merely broadly described, then the award is at a 50% rate (1 experience points per 2 gold pieces).  For example: if a generous character says “I give the money to the poor”, that would get him 50%.  However, if he says “I buy the orphans 1 blanket, 1 bowl, 1 spoon, 2 sets of clothes, and a pair of shoes each, and buy a barrel of flour and a barrel of beans for them to eat” and itemizes the purchase, then that would get him 100%.

Maximum Expenditure: A character can receive experience points for spending money equal to a maximum of 1000 times his current level during any one in-game month, or during or between any one game session.  This maximum may be waived by the GM if there is a compelling reason.

Things that never grant Experience points for spending:

Personal Armor, Weapons and adventuring gear

Daily Food, rations, lodging or upkeep

Mystical Protection or other spells cast for hire to aid the character

Fines, wergild, tolls or taxes

Basic Upkeep for henchmen and hirelings

Money spent to make or purchase spells or magic items

Things that always grant Experience points for spending:

Funeral expenses for comrades, kinsmen or henchmen

Building, furnishing or improving the character’s home

Character Traits:  each character must pick 1or 2 character traits when the character is created.  Each trait allows the character to spend money for Experience points on certain definite things.  When a character reaches 4^th level he may add another trait, and when he reaches 9^th level, he may add a fourth. 

Artistic: the character loves beauty and artworks of all sorts.

Sources of Experience points: any paintings, statues, tapestry or pottery of artistic quality that are purchased or looted and displayed at character’s home.

Collector: the character collects a certain class of object.

Sources of Experience points:  each separate, unique example of the class of object you choose. If items stolen from you, must be replaced before further XP can be gained for collection.

Compassionate:  the character is pre-occupied with alleviating suffering of the people around him.

Sources of Experience points: money that is spent to feed, clothe, house or heal the poor

Competitive: the character needs to be better than other people whenever possible.

Sources of Experience points: money spent to get an obvious, noticeably better version of something someone else has or has done.

Equestrian: the character loves horses and everything associated with them

Sources of Experience points: money spent on horses and their equipment, if a horse is killed or stolen, the character looses the value lost.

Fashionable:  the character loves to look good. 

Sources of Experience Points: Money spent on the highest quality clothing, cosmetics, perfumes, furs, jewelry and accessories.  With the exception of jewelry and perhaps some furs, they should be thrown away after a few months.

Gambler:  the character loves to gamble

Sources of Experience Points: money lost while gambling.

Generous: the character gets great enjoyment out of spreading his wealth around to his friends

Sources of Experience points: presents (but not cash) given to NPC friends, allies and henchmen provide experience points.  To get 100% award, it must be a special, appropriate gift.  GM may allow presents to fellow PC’s but can disallow if any abuses take place.

Glorious: the character is constantly seeking to increase his fame in his chosen profession.

Sources of Experience points: monuments, statues and carved memorials to the character’s great deeds and paying minstrels and bards to immortalize and spread the fame of the character.

Hedonistic: the character is focused on physical pleasures.

Sources of Experience points: money spent on feasts, banquets, entertainments, fine wine, mead or pleasurable companionship.

Hunter: the character loves hunting and the chase, and all its trappings

Sources of Experience points: buying hunting dogs, building a hunting lodge, hiring huntsmen or trackers, financing a hunting expedition, buying falcons or hunting hawks.

Lordly: the character is focused on ruling over land and people, and the amount of territory and subjects he has.

Sources of Experience points: gifts to warrior henchmen, hirelings and followers (but not ordinary gear), building fortresses or walls, purchased lands and halls, improvements to lands.

Loyal: the character is focused on his oaths and his duties to his lord and/or his vassals.

Sources of Experience points: paying ransom for lord or men, gifts of land to men, providing for the family of slain men or lord.

Miserly: the character wants to hoard treasure and dislikes spending more than absolutely necessary.

Sources of Experience points: treasure stored in a secure location (treasure house, buried in secret).  If the money is stolen or spent, he loses the experience points.  If special items are stolen, he cannot gain experience points from spending until they are recovered.  Miserly characters should always gain 100% for all treasure horded.

Patriotic: the character is passionate about his country, home-town, tribe or province.

Sources of Experience points: any money spent defending or improving the defenses of the community in question.

Religious: the character is driven to promote his gods

Sources of Experience points: building a shrine, temple or monastery of some sort, appropriate sacrifices, based on religion in question.  Gifts to a religious organization.

Scholarly: the character is driven to collect books, ancient artifacts, and other pieces of ancient lore.

Sources of Experience points: any books, artifacts, or ancient records with valuable knowledge that are purchased or looted and stored in a safe location.  Experience points is lost if the items are stolen.

Uxorious: the character likes the ladies

Sources of Experience points: presents given to desirable women in the pursuit of one’s interest.