At clubs like Attica and Fenix Room at Clarke Quay, and Dom Lounge at Marina Bay Sands, partygoers pay at least $1,000 to reserve a spot for partying over the weekend.

A 25-year-old aircraft technician who declined to be named, said: "It's how we let loose. It has become the only way I know how to relax.

"Yes, it can cost almost as much as my pay cheque but partying is the most common way to release stress from this fast-paced city and day-to-day activities.

"For a guy who wants to interact with the opposite sex, offering the lady a drink is in order."

Another guy, a frequent patron at Fenix Room agreed.

"Women are not obliged to pay. It's almost like they are born freeloaders," he said.

"But luckily for them, it is common practice and is not frowned upon. But sometimes, it is very refreshing when a girl foots the bill for a round of drinks."

But how do young men survive with this expensive practice?

The technician said: "Every time I get my pay cheque, I pay my bills then head to the clubs.

"By the end of that night, it can be said that I have wiped out almost all of it. I'll have just enough to last me the entire month for necessities like transport to work, food and all."

IT'S TRUE

I've seen this for myself.

While I was out with five other girlfriends a couple of weeks ago, one of them decided that Dom Lounge would be the first joint for the night.

Her exact words were "paying for drinks is the last of your worries" there.

And true enough, a young man with a couple of friends were at a table with a variety of bottles ready for the taking.

The cost for a table reservation at Dom Lounge? An astonishing $2,500.

Aside from the friend who had suggested going there, the rest of my friends and I did not exchange a word with the guy who headed the table.

From bottles of champagnes to different brands of vodka, the drinks kept coming.

A bottle of champagne at Dom Lounge? $300. Four empty bottles stood on the table.

Slightly intoxicated, one of the girls jokingly blurted out that she wanted more champagne, while looking at the empty bottle next to her. Five minutes later, a new bottle appeared.

What did the guy get from the whole thing?

The company of a gaggle of girls who were just out to have fun. Perhaps it helped that most of my girlfriends were hot models.

My technician friend usually fares better than those men. When he buys drinks, he usually gets lucky.

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