IT IS Thursday evening. Instead of heading home like the rest of her colleagues, Rachel Lee sets off to her favourite spin studio in Chinatown. 

There is nothing quite like the thrill of these classes – the thumping music, flashing neon lights and tribal adrenaline rush – to melt away her stress and worries. The perfect way to recuperate after a long and arduous work day. 

The 29-year-old recognises that this might not be the most cost-efficient hobby. A single class is priced at S$46, or S$25 if you buy a package of 200. Still, this is a weekly routine Lee could never give up, even amid economic uncertainty and personal financial pressures.