30 Things A Woman Should Not Try Before 30
Posted by: Wendy Atterberry
Filed in:
relationships
2:00PM, Monday November 2nd 2009
Our editor Amelia is turning 30 in a few short weeks and her essay on the subject really resonated with Frisky readers, both younger and older than 30. With that in mind, we’ll be reposting our “30 Before 30” series, which originally ran late last year, over the next few weeks. Enjoy!
We’ve talked a lot about the things you should know and do before turning the big 3-0, but until now, we have yet to discuss the things you’d be crazy to try before your 30th birthday. While you may be in a rush to squeeze in as many adventures and escapades as you can before the clock strikes midnight and the curtain drops on your 20s, there are quite a few things you’d be a total fool to willfully experience. After the jump, 30 things you should not try before turning 30*...
1. Going on a blind date without an escape plan
2. Having sex without protection (outside a monogamous, baby-bound relationship)
3. Getting an ill-fated, post-breakup haircut
4. Asking for the “Jessica Simpson” at the tanning salon
5. Getting kicked off a plane for wearing a skirt that’s too short
6. Sleeping with the governor for money
7. Waxing your brows under the influence
8. Getting engaged on a reality TV show
9. Wearing a plunging neckline without double-sided tape
10. Worrying about getting old (you have the rest of your life for that!)
11. Mixing wine, vodka, gin, rum and beer in one night
12. Buying a Ford
13. Sleeping with your boss
14. Staying with a man after he hits you
15. Eating the fish entrée on the plane
16. Moving in with the guy you barely know
17. Wearing a sports bra for anything other than sports
18. Getting a tattoo of a mermaid, a butterfly, or a fairy on your lower back
19. Leaving the batteries in your vibrator while traveling
20. Using your real name for cybersex
21. Saying “I love you” first
22. Getting in debt buying shoes
23. Or handbags
24. Or too many lattes, for crying out loud
25. Eating thirds
26. Wearing high-waisted jeans if you aren’t Kate Moss (or her size)
27. Dating or sleeping with your best friend’s ex
28. Dating or sleeping with your ex’s best friend
29. (Unless, of course, your ex was a D-bag)
30. Begging your ex to come back
*It’s recommended you not try any of these after you turn 30, either.
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Catherine
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 12:28 pm: [report]
I love high-waisted jeans and will continue to wear them proudly.
Leigh Raines
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 12:45 pm: [report]
i’d rather get into debt buying bags and shoes now than when i need to buy my kid diapers.
wendykay
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 12:47 pm: [report]
Not many people can pull off the high-waisted jeans, but good for you if you think you’re one of them.
elizabethmarley
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 01:31 pm: [report]
Number 21? Really? Seriously? Excuse me?
HereComestheSunQ
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 02:08 pm: [report]
No going back for thirds? Damn!
shannac02
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 02:45 pm: [report]
LOVE it!!!! I’m not (even) close to my thirties, but I think these are pretty much applicable to any chick from 17-75, Don’t ya think?
lilo
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 04:46 pm: [report]
Okay, gotta dispute number 12 and number 21. What’s wrong w/a Ford? Probably much dumber to buy a BMW before 30 (even though you’d look much better in it than a Ford). As for number 21, I don’t think I’ve ever said “I love you” first, but someone has to do it. It’s okay to take a few risks.
wendykay
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 05:11 pm: [report]
I bought a Ford and that thing nickel and dimed be to death. I watched the same thing happen to everyone I knew who bought a Ford. Better to go with a Honda! I’m sticking by 21, too. I’m all for a woman asking a man out, making the first move sexually, even proposing, but the ‘L’ word ought to be off limits until the guy utters it first. Actually, I’m thinking there’s a post in that…
Simone
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 06:19 pm: [report]
There’s definitely a post in that. I would like to read the pros and cons. Is it a fear of seeming too needy?
Very good list!
The Spartan Sweetheart
wrote on November 25 2008 @ 10:40 pm: [report]
Oh lord, I’ve plucked my eyebrows while under the influence. I was tipsy and on my way out the door and thought “I’ll just get these few stray hairs!” It took me from August to December to grow them out.
wendykay
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 06:35 am: [report]
I’ve been waiting over a decade and mine still haven’t grown back.
juliePS
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 08:29 am: [report]
THANK YOU for #2, especially after the unprotected sex post from yesterday that made me cringe repeatedly.
stlhousewife
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 11:49 am: [report]
I’m almost thirty..will be in a few years and I really don’t feel different at all. No one believes that I’m 27, I always hear 23 or 24. So does this mean I have time to still do a few things on the 30 list?
I’ve already done most!! But high-waisted jeans, I never understood how anyone thinks that’s fashion.
Simone
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 12:39 pm: [report]
Beware of trimming your bangs during PMS week. Can we say “spiral-cut Ham” bangs?
afp1
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 12:59 pm: [report]
14. Staying with a man after he hits you
How about never doing that.
21. Saying “I love you” first
I think that’s kind of outdated. I think you should say it whenever you truly feel it.
wendykay
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 02:37 pm: [report]
Being a wise woman is NEVER outdated, afp1.
chatondeneige
wrote on November 26 2008 @ 04:26 pm: [report]
I wear sports bras every night to sleep! It prevents, sag, I swear!
bookgrrrl
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 12:05 am: [report]
re: #21: what is this, the victorian era? if you truly love someone, tell them. otherwise you’re just playing outdated coquettish games. yuck.
carol v.a.
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 01:55 am: [report]
#31 Reading stupid lists.
manfan
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 01:24 pm: [report]
My friend Lea got a crazy post break up haircut a few years ago and we still laugh about it!
Simone
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 01:28 pm: [report]
Hey! Which one was that?! :p
I’m still laughing now.
manfan
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 01:51 pm: [report]
The short cut was supposed to be sassy but it was less Katie Holmes and more KD Lang. The lesson: Always ask your friends BEFORE you do something drastic. That’s why we have them
Simone
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 02:02 pm: [report]
I thought you were going to bring up the one that made me look more like a cross between Lyle Lovett and Beaker on the Muppet Show.
Another rule: Never go to a hairdresser that refuses to give you a short hair cut because “I don’t want you to look ‘unnatural.’” (Read: lesbian. I know. I know. But I lived in the Bible Belt at the time, and this is how I find out she’s a homophobe.) And then, the hairdresser makes you look like a cross between Lyle Lovett and Beaker. This was the last time I went to her. But enough about my hair!
How are YOU?
calley
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 02:37 pm: [report]
I don’t know about #12. At 18 with a (stunning) ‘07 Mustang… I see nothing wrong with owning a Ford. And what’s with #14? Staying with a man after he hits you? 30 is no magic number concerning this… no woman whether she’s 20 or 50 should stay with a man if he hits her, am I wrong?
Simone
wrote on November 29 2008 @ 02:44 pm: [report]
I think that is a no-brainer, really.
mariposita826
wrote on December 1 2008 @ 05:30 pm: [report]
If you’re not going to ever mix wine, vodka, gin, rum and beer in one night before your’re thirty then WHEN?!!!!
Simone
wrote on December 1 2008 @ 08:27 pm: [report]
NEVER.
Or when you’re a teenager.
MissMacala
wrote on December 4 2008 @ 12:22 pm: [report]
Okay - there is nothing wrong with having a Ford. I drive an escape hybrid and have had no issues with it. For a “green” lifestyle, its ideal.
Also, it doesn’t matter who says I love your first. I’ve said it because it was the truth and I wanted him to know my intentions and what I wanted from our relationship. Turns out we were on the same page. He just didn’t know how to express it.
And wearing a bra is not a good idea for sleeping. You have to let your skin breathe, it will maintain it’s natural elasticity. Boob baum is a great investment too to help keep the girls up.
H. Blue
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:06 pm: [report]
some of these are dumb. and I did probably 6 of them before I was 30.
AlisonNoelle
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:07 pm: [report]
Um. # 21…. Guilty and proud of it. And #25. For Gods sake why not?
Humble Bee
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:12 pm: [report]
lol. I mixed wine, beer, vodka, Jagger, & jack all in one night, and it wasn’t pre-tty. Now I stick to 2 beers only lmao. or 1 glass of wine, maybe 2, ok, i’m such a liar, 3.
indiemamacita
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:15 pm: [report]
11. Mixing wine, vodka, gin, rum and beer in one night
DONE- I had a blast, and a two day hangover.
powplz
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:22 pm: [report]
Still guilty of 17, but I’m *much* better about it than I used to be. Points for improvement, right?
Queen Frostine
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:25 pm: [report]
Sounds like a VERY interesting story behind #7….
lostrun
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:25 pm: [report]
I’m w/ those against 21..why not if you truly feel it? And 25…maybe not eating thirds often, but once in awhile, and if it’s fantastic, why not?
tgoody3784
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:46 pm: [report]
I definitely prefer the “things you should do” lists. This is basically just a list of I-know-I-shouldn’t-do-it-but-I’ll-do-it-anyway items (minus 21, for which I’m in total agreement with the majority).
Meanwhile, does this mean that sleeping with the Governor for free is ok??
Al D
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:46 pm: [report]
Where were you with #18 like, 12 years ago when I needed that advice?
Lynn
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 02:47 pm: [report]
This had the potential to be a fun list but seriously…some of these I cannot understand. Buying a Ford? Saying I Love You? (I know you wrote a whole post about why you don’t say it first but COME ON you can’t say that no woman in the whole world should ever do that in her whole life) Eating thirds?
And #2….didn’t you have a whole article about how that is exactly what you want to do now that you’re married?
@chatondeneige - have you tried an unwired/soft cup bra? They’re prettier than sports bras but still give you support - and you don’t need the heavy-duty sports bra support unless you’re jogging in your sleep.
chipclip
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 03:08 pm: [report]
I look great in a Ford. Blue Mustang, yeah
Timeguy55
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 03:25 pm: [report]
i disagree with 19
vtgirl1993
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 03:38 pm: [report]
I bought a Ford at age 21 and it lasted me 13 years and 400,000 miles. I bought a Ford again when that one died. I’ll buy another when this one dies. The way GM and Chrysler are going, Ford is the only decent American car TO buy.
NikkiL
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 03:51 pm: [report]
I’m 23 and both cars I’ve had have been Fords and I loved them both (I only replaced the first one because of a car accident).
Whatever happened to buying American? Not to mention that Ford cars are just as reliable as Toyotas or Hondas according to a recent article in Time.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1932832,00.html?xid=rss-business
silvergurl
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 03:52 pm: [report]
hahah. i’ve done the vibrator thing. and i’m 26.
Bgirl_Hamster
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 05:19 pm: [report]
#11 describes my typical Tuesday. Crap.
Perceptible
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 06:25 pm: [report]
Yay! Never tried any of these and I’m 39. (None of them sound very appealing either.)
unbounded
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 06:34 pm: [report]
Hmmm guilty of 2, 11, 13, and 21. With the exception of 2, which I regret, the others…why not take a risk and live a little? I sure learned a lot!
Anniushka
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 07:11 pm: [report]
Meh. I often wear sports bras whenever I know I’m going to be sweaty (like, on hot days) because they’re the only unlined bras in my size that will actually give me the support I need. I hate sweating into a lined or padded underwire bra. Blehhh!
I also wear them when I want to minimize my bust. Only when I don’t care about nipple show-through, though.
Also, quick question: what’s the “Jessica Simpson”?
Hurricane KC
wrote on November 2 2009 @ 10:36 pm: [report]
@chipclip - me too!
#12—What in the world could be wrong with driving the classic American muscle car? I happen to love Mustangs with a deep routed passion that’s been passed down from generation to generation. Ok really just one generation… dad’s on Mustang #4
thickasawhaleomelette
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 01:11 am: [report]
I have to jump in on this one and say that my Ford is fantastic! I have a 2008 Focus, and it’s fuel efficient, responsive, good on the snow, I feel safe in it, has cool technology (I have the Sync option), and it was affordable. I could go on, but I’ll step down from my Ford soapbox. =)
One more thing though: you should say “I love you” when you mean it, whether that’s first, last, often, or never.
draymond
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 02:51 am: [report]
Aw come on what have you got against Fords?
Rest of the suggestions are spot on.
citygrlatheart
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 08:39 am: [report]
I love my Ford Fusion too. And saying “I love you” first as fine as long is it’s thought out and not blurted out on date #2.
shellerbee
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 11:09 am: [report]
Hey, what’s wrong with saying “I love you” first? I did, and now here I am, in a very happily cohabitating relationship. Do you also want women to always wear skirts? Never show our ankles?
NaomiK
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 11:12 am: [report]
Ok, so I’m from Michigan so the whole ford thing irks me. Not in the way you might think, though. I’m irked by the “by American, buy a Ford” thing. Ford closed many, many factories over the past decade or so decimating communities. Many of their cars and trucks aren’t made in America! They sent their factories to Mexico. If you want to buy an American made truck, buy a Nissan. Those are built in Indiana. Just because it’s an American company, doesn’t mean they’re providing jobs for Americans. I wouldn’t buy a ford because of what their company has done to the whole michigan economy by abruptly closing factories and taking jobs elsewhere. I will however go out of my way to shop at locally owned stores and buy michigan made products.
powplz
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 11:20 am: [report]
@NaomiK - word. Toyotas are also made state-side as well.
Shosanna
wrote on November 3 2009 @ 01:11 pm: [report]
The only one I have done so far is number 11 except it was wine, vodka, WHISKEY and beer…and tequila. God damn that tequila.
mp1122
wrote on November 17 2009 @ 04:04 pm: [report]
18. Getting a tattoo of a mermaid, a butterfly, or a fairy on your lower back
I agree with almost all on the list with the exception of #18…Yes, it’s because I have a butterfly on my lower back but also because being under 30 doesn’t mean we aren’t as “mature” as the rest of you…and perhaps something extremely meaningful DID happen in our lives before the big 3-0 and it caused us to want a tattoo of one of the objects you mentioned on the list…how about instead of those you put “Getting a tattoo of Chinese characters and/or other foreign language words/symbols that don’t have real meaning to you….
Lynn
wrote on November 17 2009 @ 04:50 pm: [report]
@mp1122 - Are you saying that a butterfly tattoo is more meaningful than a tattoo in any language that isn’t English? I’m going to have to call BS.
flirty lee
wrote on November 18 2009 @ 03:40 am: [report]
2, 9, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 25… done. oops.
well…number 11 was wine, tequila, vodka, champagne, whiskey, and beer… I woke up the next morning still slightly inebriated.
I actually don’t regret being the first one to say “I love you” at all, we both knew we were in love anyway
mp1122
wrote on November 18 2009 @ 07:21 am: [report]
@Lynn - def NOT saying that my tattoo is more meaningful than others—just that if you don’t know the meaning of your tattoo regardless of the language or image…then it’s pretty dumb, in my opinion.