30 things all women should do before turning 30

Thirty before 30: it’s an interesting concept, don’t you think? If you’ve never heard of it before, a 30 before 30 bucket list is a checklist of 30 things you want to accomplish before turning 30. And because we care about you oh so much and our own 30th birthdays are approaching sooner than we would like to acknowledge, we’ve created our very own 30 before 30. Granted, it’s not all sunshine and skydiving, but, as they say, the devil is in the details.

1. Start saving for retirement: granted, it’s not the sexiest topic to start off with but hear us out. According to CNN Money, if at age 25 you start saving $3,000 a year for 10 years in a tax-deferred retirement account, even if you stop at age 35, your $30,000 investment should grow to more than $338,000, assuming a 7% annual return. If you start 10 years later at age 35, your investment is expected to grow $30,000 short of that.

2. Pay off your debts: start paying down debts coming from credit cards and student loans as soon as you’re receiving regular paycheques. If you go to make a big purchase like a house or a car, these prior debts can complicate the process.

3. Start an emergency fund: creating an emergency fund if you don’t already have one, is incredibly important. Many financial experts recommend having between three and six months’ worth of pay set aside should an emergency or loss of employment happen.

4. Learn to do your taxes: a 2018 NerdWallet survey found that many Americans think legitimate tax-reduction strategies are illegal, meaning millions of people are potentially not receiving the money they’re entitled to. Additionally, almost half of those surveyed didn’t know which tax bracket they belong to.

5. Get a pelvic exam and Pap smear: women aged 21 and over should have a Pap smear every three years to check for signs of cervical cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

6. Check your cholesterol: starting at age 20, women should get a baseline screening for cholesterol levels and triglycerides to monitor their risk for coronary heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends women get checked every four to six years, starting at age 20.

7. Be sex-safe: both men and women should get regularly get tested for STDs and HIV once becoming sexually active. According to Planned Parenthood, most STDs show no symptoms and can lead to serious health problems if not treated.

8. Check-in with your mental health: the importance of regular mental health checkups can’t be overlooked when it comes to your overall wellbeing. According to the Office on Women’s Health, most mental health conditions begin early in life, usually by age 25. Just like visiting your dentist or getting bloodwork done, your mental health sometimes requires maintenance and you know what, it’s perfectly ok.

9. Learn about your fertility: in your 20s, your relationship with your own fertility can be complicated, to say the least. Whether you’re actively trying to prevent pregnancy or starting to think about the pitter-patter of tiny feet, female fertility peaks in your mid-20s, so it’s worth thinking about. Since one in eight people in the U.S. are impacted by infertility, your 20s is a prime time to become intimate with your own reproductive health.

10. Exercise regularly: while this one may seem more-than-obvious, a study from King’s College London and the University of Birmingham found that exercising regularly in your 20s has a direct correlation between maintaining a “youthful” immune system later in life. Researchers found that the older adults who were physically active their entire lives produced as many immune-boosting T-cells as the much-younger participants. What does this mean? Get sweating! 

11. Learn basic CPR…: this list just gets more and more fun, doesn’t it? To state the obvious: knowing basic CPR is important. According to the CDC, about 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital each year, and out of those, 9 in 10 will die if outside a hospital setting. However, if proper CPR is performed within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

12. …And other life-saving skills: in addition to learning CPR, knowing how to administer an EpiPen, perform the Heimlich maneuver, and soothe minor burns and cuts are all skills you can learn during a first aid course.

13. Take a self-defense class: taking a self-defense class is about taking safety into your own hands. You’ll hopefully never need to use the skills taught but a self-defense class will teach you awareness and prevention techniques if you should ever find yourself in a violent situation.

14. Eat responsibly: we’ve all heard it by now, but reducing your meat and animal product consumption and generating less food waste, in general, are two significant contributions you can make to decrease your carbon footprint. According to the WWF, what we eat, “contributes around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for almost 60% of global biodiversity loss.” Aka: ditch the bacon and eat more plants.

15. Break up with single-use plastics: straws, plastic bags, coffee cup lids, plastic forks and knives, and the like: they suck and we don’t need them. A 2018 U.N. Environment report on single-use plastics found that just 9% of the world’s nine billion tonnes of plastic has been recycled. Non-biodegradable plastics end up in our oceans and landfills, contaminating our soil and water sources. Reduce, reuse, recycle, people!

16. Learn the 50 Ways to Help: you’d be surprised by the small changes you can make in your everyday life that amount to a positive impact on the environment. From turning off your computer to downloading e-tickets, get familiar with the 50 Ways to Help the Planet.

17. Donate blood: donating blood is one of the most important gifts one person can give to another. According to the American Red Cross, a single blood donation can save up to three lives. It’s likely you or someone you love will need blood in your lifetimes, whether from pregnancy complications, surgical procedures, or cancer treatments, someone in the US needs blood every two seconds. If that isn’t enough, just think of the free juice and guilt-free cookies you’ll get after donating.

18. Volunteer: volunteer! Seriously! Give your time to a cause you love: animal welfare, the environment, social justice…whatever it is, just do it.

19. Be kind: although we know you don’t need a reminder for this one, we’ll just write it for emphasis. Smile at a stranger, give someone a compliment, hold the door open. Everyone struggles sometimes and a little love can go a long way.

20. Send a postcard: or a letter, long email, pigeon post love note, whatever. Think of the joy you feel when someone sends you an actual letter-in-the-mailbox birthday card or ‘just because’ note when you’re having a rough month. Return the favor and send someone a love note. Plus: you’ll learn the price of stamps in your area. Because let’s be honest, you have no idea what they are.

21. Visit a friend abroad: ok, we’ve made it to the fun bit! Make time to visit that friend you made in a hostel in Europe that one time or your long-lost pen-pal in a place you’ve never been before.

22. Go on a road trip: have you ever lost a perishable snack in the crevasses of your car during a long road trip and lived to tell the smelly tale? If not, make this your time to do so (air freshener is recommended).

23. Learn a new skill: photography, playing the piano, twerking, whatever it may be, spark some new synapses in your brain with a brand new skill.

24. Finish a fitness challenge: whether it’s that 21-day yoga challenge at your local studio or 30 days of Crossfit, try to push yourself and complete a seemingly impossible fitness challenge.

25. Learn a second language: or at least try to. Swap your morning Instagram time for Duolingo and learn a phrase or two in French, Spanish, German, or High Valyrian (?), and impress your date with your bountiful and worldly language skills.

26. Treat yourself: to a day of pampering, a new bag, or a really indulgent meal; all in the name of ’30 before 30′, right?

27. Take family photos: with your parents, siblings, grandparents, children, anyone who might kind of share the same DNA as you. People age and grandparents pass, take the photos while you still can.

28. Make a grand gesture: it doesn’t have to be running after someone in an airport, but pull the classic rom-com gesture and make a grand gesture to your special someone.

29. Finish the IMDb top 100: this one will take some time, so you had better start now.

30. Do at least one thing on this list: trust us! From a friend to a friend, we want the best for you.