SG60 Budget for better health and well-being

As a chiropractor, the SG60 Budget excites me. Of course I am looking forward to the $600 SG vouchers. But what I want focus on today is the $100 ActiveSG credit top-up as well as the SG Culture Pass (also $100 of credits). I am discussing ahead cos I really want y’all to make full use of it to achieve greater health and well-being.

$600-$800 SG60 Vouchers

So you probably already know this. Most of us are getting $600 in SG60 vouchers. Those of us who are 60 and above will get $800. The vouchers work like CDC vouchers, where half it can be spent at hawkers and heartland small businesses. The other half can be used at participating supermarkets.

It’s giving Maslow’s hierarchy of needs vibes. Pretty much the vouchers seems directed at “physiological needs” like food and household items. I think it’s a great idea that these vouchers are directed for specific purposes. It may be a bit inconvenient but come on, all of us need to eat and drink anyway right?

Based on past experiences, all my supermarket vouchers will go to groceries at Sheng Siong. Sometimes buying things that I need but won’t die without. Like, sewing machine oil to stop my sliding door from squeaking.

As for the hawker and heartland merchants, I use them to eat unhealthy hawker food that I would otherwise never eat. There is also a cafe near my place called Bullock Coffee that accepts CDC vouchers. The taro latte is super sedap (yummy).

$100 SG60 ActiveSG credit

The SG60 ActiveSG credits are meant to help Singaporeans live a more healthy and active lifestyle. What I don’t get is why can’t the credits be extended to other participating fitness or gym businesses. No offence, but the offerings of ActiveSG is still a very far cry from what is available in the physical well-being space.

While I get that ActiveSG does offer the enough facilities and run programmes, it is not really where I want to go to train or for classes.

If we want people to get active, we need to consider that physical activity preferences vary from individual to individual. The selection at ActiveSG is simply not diverse (or attractive) enough.

It would be more exciting if, say, the vouchers could be used as ClassPass credits? I don’t think it’s that farfetch since state-owned investment firm Temasek Holdings was involved with ClassPass latest series E funding (US$285 million). Temasek also led ClassPass series D funding (US$85 million) and series C funding ($70 million).

What is offered at ActiveSG?

I must clarify that I am a big fan of ActiveSG. For a government initiative aimed at getting masses to get moving, it’s great. They have over 300 public sport facilities, and the gym entry fee is only $2.50. It 100% does succeed at making exercising accessible to most, if not all, Singaporeans.

They also started offering programmes from spinning to wheelchair basketball. Though I have to say, I was a bit disappointed to see wheelchair basketball being available only to “participants with physical impairment”.

Physical activity is available for people of all-abilities

In Australia, at least when I was there, wheelchair basketball was also opened to “abled” individuals. There was even a Wheelchair Challenge where people are encouraged to try spending a day of their life in a wheelchair. Its aim is to increase awareness of the challenges faced by people with different abilities.

While I have not tried that challenge myself, I did witness one of my leadership mentors attempt it. The struggles were very real, I promise you. Wheelchair access is not always at the most convenient or intuitive place. So while a lot of places are wheelchair accessible in Perth, it still took ridiculous amount of literal effort to get to places!

We definitely have more work to do in Singapore. But ActiveSG launch Para Sport Academy to offer 10 para sports including para athletics and para swimming is no easy feat.

How would I use my ActiveSG credits

I may not be a fan of ActiveSG but it’s still $100 free credits. It’s not free money but 不用白不用 (it’s a waste to not use) right?

I think the best way to use them is to spend it on something that you will otherwise never do. I think there are some interesting activities for sure.

For example, there is a 2-session archery course for $80. Each session is only 1.5 hours though. Unfortunately, it’s only for children aged seven to 17 years old. I am not sure if there are adult classes.

I also found an adult inline skating class for beginners. It’s $90 for four sessions. There is a super high chance I would sign up for this. I do own a pair of skates. The plan was to self-learn but I never quite got too far with it. Self-learning, admittedly, is always hard.

There are pilates classes as well. A 12-session programme is only $95. However, I believe they are mat pilates, which I am not so interested in.

SG Culture Pass

The SG Culture Pass is new and there is limited information on what is available yet. I am guessing like it’s mostly to attend exhibition or arts events? It would be super great if they include workshops or classes as well but I highly doubt that will be the case.

There is a high chance that Singapore Symphony Orchestra concerts will be covered under it. They already have the SG60 logo in some their webpages!

As the culture pass will be available for redemption from Sep 1 this year to end 2028, you can use them to attend concerts by SSO music director Hans Graf and also the new incoming Finnish music director Hannu Lintu.

SSO does throw some exciting concerts. I will be attending Akiko Suwanai and Kahchun Wong – Dvořák and Elgar. I have not heard Kahchun Wong in person before but he is a Singaporean conductor making waves internationally! Last year, it was announced that he will be conducting Halle, a 165-year-old symphony orchestra in the United Kingdom.

If there are any Chloe Chua‘s concerts on the programme, I am going for every single one of them! haha I mean, this Singaporean violinist is like world class good and her Butterfly Lovers & Paganini album was no.1 in Apple Music classical chart!

Health is a mindset

To a large extent, I think health is really more about the process and it’s a mindset thing. Like, there is no one with perfect health. Yet we can all be healthier.

We are very blessed to live in Singapore where we have access to some of the world’s best and most affordable healthcare. Beyond that, we also have a very forward thinking government that has initiatives to help is attain better health.

SG60 credits may not seem like much but it’s also not nothing. If we were to not put them to good use, they would certainly lapse.

Health is not just doing what is perfect and good for us. It’s also about being able to see the little opportunities we have to make our lives better. Remember, health is not an absence of disease but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being!