Hobbies can be expensive. I tried rewardsmaxxing my expenses to make them worthwhile.

There are many reasons why I love visiting The Kallang.

Not just because it's conveniently located near my office, but because the precinct seems to be equipped with everything that suits my interests – sports facilities, a climbing gym, restaurants.

In a single visit, I can both satisfy my cravings and move my limbs.

But one thing I’ve learnt over the years is that keeping up with hobbies is generally an expensive affair, no matter how essential they are to one’s wellbeing.

Now that I'm in my first full-time job, I've become more mindful of my spending, so I've been on a mission to maximise my spending by rewardsmaxxing my life.

The Kallang App

The Kallang has recently launched The Kallang Kaki, a new loyalty programme that comes with a bunch of benefits, allowing users to earn loyalty points and access exclusive features at The Kallang.

Members like me, or "The Kallang Kaki", can register in-app for events at The Kallang and check-in online, as well as book facilities through the app.

I’ll admit that when I first heard of this programme, I was skeptical that the benefits it had to offer would keep me hooked for long.

But I would soon be proven wrong.

I discovered that with each event I joined, I earned a badge and leveled up on my membership.

This in turn meant better voucher benefits each time – like a gift that keeps giving.

For me, of course, the most eye-catching features were the savings I generated when I accumulated points through my purchases.

As a member, I could also access member-exclusive items like early bird discounts, ticket presales and merchandise drops.

Together with some friends, I set out on an experiment to test out these perks.

Dining

We headed to the mall for dinner on a casual Friday night.

The app’s built-in store directory and reservations function made choosing and booking a restaurant seamless.

We settled on Korean food.

Off to a good start.

Activities for the weekend

As we dined, I browsed through the app, keen to find something my friends and I could plan for the weekend.

The interface is simple enough to use, even for a digital noob like me.

The homepage highlights upcoming events at The Kallang, ranging from sports to entertainment, community and lifestyle.

There was even a tab dedicated to community stories from the precinct, like a handy guide to the Singapore Tennis Open and spotlights on local athletes.

As an athlete myself, these were heartwarming to read.

But what caught my eye were the active vouchers listed under the “My Rewards” tab, where I could invite a friend for free across a number of activities – basically half the cost for each of us.

There was The Kallang Gym, the OCBC Aquatic Centre, and my personal favourite, a two-hour kayak rental at the Water Sports Centre.

Perfect for groups like mine looking to have fun together.

We settled on the kayaking activity. All I had to do next was redeem the voucher on the day of the activity and verify it with a staff member within two minutes.

But because each Kallang Kaki could only bring one extra friend, I made sure at least three of us in my group of six were equipped with the app (and voucher) so that we could all snag the half-price discount.

After all, good deals are meant to be shared, right?

Even those who were initially apprehensive about the heat and fatigue couldn’t resist the steal.

I think these smiles say it all:

Something to look forward to

The excitement from the weekend got me looking for my next activity.

A major sporting event coming up in September is the Singapore Tennis Open, which will be held at the OCBC Arena at The Kallang.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to snap up early tickets for my brother and me, as my brother had recently gotten into tennis.

But if you’re familiar with premier sporting tournaments, you may know that such tickets can cost a bomb.

Thankfully, because of how early it was, The Kallang was offering a 10 per cent early bird discount on tickets for a limited time period.

Plus, there was an additional 10 per cent off for registered Kallang Kakis on The Kallang app, which meant a total of 20 per cent off for me.

Safe to say, I am now my brother’s favourite sister.

All that there’s left to do is wait for September to arrive.

More than the deals

The older I get, the more I’m finding it important to proactively keep at maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Plus, friendships and relationships are important to me – I consider spending time and money on those I love worth every penny.

But let’s be honest, having an active life can be painful to the wallet, so I’ll take any rewards I can snag along the way.

Now that I’m equipped with The Kallang App and the perks that come with it, a future goal I have in mind is to attend my very first concert.

At the ripe age of 26, I think it’s about time.

This branded article by The Kallang made this writer want to plan her next activity ASAP.