Whether you’re a student with a part-time job or a professional climbing the corporate ladder, you work too damn hard to pay full price for your beverages, movies, meals, spa packages or attraction admission fees when you’re finally off the clock. I’m not saying you have to start flipping tables, start a fight club or protest at Hong Lim Park to show you’ve had enough.
You just need to get your hands on a lifestyle membership card, which can save you hundreds of dollars during the lifetime of your membership. Here are three options that cater to students, professionals, and just about everyone else:
1. For Students: nEbO PLUS! Card
Not every Singaporean student has the means to enjoy every weekend like a drunken US sailor on shore leave.
If you’re a student (aged 12 – 25) who values every dollar, the nEbO PLUS! Card by NTUC will save you money on lifestyle, entertainment and food purchases.
Just don’t expect any happy hour specials with the nEbO PLUS! card (c’mon now, we’re talking about a card a 12-year old can get!). But if you’re a hardcore gamer, movie buff, budding musician or enjoy local attractions, this card delivers some decent discounts.
Some of the discounts listed include:
- $2.50/hr LAN gaming from Monday – Sunday at Colosseum (Bugis+)
- $7.00 tickets for movies screened from Monday – Thursday (all day) and $9.50 for movies screened from Friday (after 6 p.m.) – Sunday (all day) at Cathay Cineplexes
- Waiver of registration fee and a discounted rate of $45 per hour for demo recording at Intune Music
- Free admission to all galleries at the National Museum of Singapore
This card also has the LinkPoints Rewards Programme, which can be used to redeem items like an Ice-Age Puffy Keychain (always wanted one of those) or a 2D1N stay at Costa Sands Resort.
A 1-year membership can be purchased for $20 and comes with 300 LinkPoints. Signing on for a 3-year membership is an even better deal at $39 and comes with 1,500 LinkPoints.
2. For Professionals: RivaLife Premium Lifestyle Membership Card
Watching your bank account grow by a digit or two every payday is like witnessing cherry blossoms bloom – you’re taken by the beauty of the moment… then it’s off to a trendy bar with your office buddies to get smashed! Or maybe you just like to take your wife or girlfriend someplace nice and classy for that mandatory monthly dinner (you can’t always do Popeyes right?) followed by some spa time together.
The RivaLife Premium Lifestyle Membership Card mitigates the damage done to your pocketbook by 15% – 45% on select bars, restaurants, events and wellness packages. New deals are selected monthly, many of which are reviewed by guest editors.
Some of the discounts listed include:
- 30% off food and drinks at MR PUNCH rooftop bar
- 30% off food and drinks at Mariko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar
- 15% off tickets for Shakespeare in the Park – Othello
- 45% off all spa treatments at The Retreat Spa
As for membership, they currently have a 1-month welcome offer (regularly $29.90 for a month-to-month membership) for only $1 that comes with a $20 dollar gift voucher. This isn’t a bad deal if you just want to try it out for dinner or drinks and get the free voucher. Just remember to cancel the membership before the 2nd of the following month (it will “renew” your membership automatically until you cancel).
RivaLife also has six-month membership at $149.90 ($24.90 per month) and a 1-year membership at $268.80 ($22.43 per month) options. However, for the six month and 1-year membership, you have to pay the membership fee in a lump sum.
3. For Everyone: PAssion Card
Do YOU have a PAssion Card? I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase at least 1000 times or more over the past few months from grocery store cashiers alone.
I assure you there’s no devious plot to make you go insane from hearing “Do you have a PAssion Card?” over and over again (or is there?). Seriously though, the fact that you hear that phrase at so many places is a good thing – it means you save money at plenty of places. If you want to get updates on other ways to save money, you should also follow us on Facebook!
Of all the lifestyle membership cards available, this one is not only the cheapest, but has the greatest merchant participation. I won’t even list some of the discounts because the list is too extensive, so go here instead to check out the full list.
In addition, PAssion Card members can also join unique clubs where you can share your interest in the arts, cinema and exercise with others. The card also provides discounts for courses at your local community centre. There’s also the TapForMore Rewards Programme, which rewards you for shopping at any Dairy Farm Singapore locations (i.e. 7-Eleven, Cold Storage, etc.).
Fees for a 5-year membership are based on the age of the applicant. If you’re 18-59 years of age, the fee is $12, but for children or elderly outside this age range, the fee is only $10.
So before you go out and spend your hard-earned cash this upcoming payday, add a useful piece of plastic to your wallet that will make the day after a bit less painful on your bank account. You can also check out discounts available with credit cards on sites like MoneySmart.
Image Credits:
-Snapatorium-, Rockin’ Rob, GOC53
Know of any other lifestyle cards you want to tell your fellow readers about? Comment and share the wealth!