How I’ve Changed Since Turning 30

My birthday is this week and I’m turning 31. I really didn’t think that turning 30 was going to have any sort of impact on me or how I live my life.

I was wrong. I’ve changed a lot in the last year. Some of it was on purpose. Some of it was just a shift in perspective. At least one thing was a really big surprise.

In short, about to turn 31 Nicole is a different person than about to turn 30 Nicole. Here are some things I’ve learned in the last year.

Face and skin care

I’ve started incorporating taking care of my skin into my self-care routine more. No, I haven’t seen any wrinkles yet. But I have had next to no acne. I might, at 30, finally be done with that.

I’m using a night moisturizer, an under eye cream and a special moisturizing soap. These are things I didn’t bother with up until this year. I’m also making a point of using BB creams with SPF instead of foundations most days and putting on sunscreen any time I’m going to be out in the sun. Finally, I’m drinking more water, finally. The point of all of this is that I’m taking better care of my skin now in the hopes that I can keep looking how I look for awhile longer. I like how I look.

I don’t like being called Miss anymore

I don’t really know if this is about the shift from 29 to 30 or a shift in my perspective as I become more protective of myself as a woman. But when I was younger I had no problem with being called Miss, Honey, Sweetheart, Sweety, Baby Doll or any of the other pet names people (especially older men) feel the need to give women who’s name they don’t know.

Now I’m more likely to quote Janet Jackson. My name’s not Baby, it’s Nicole. Or Mrs. Luttrell. Or, if you really don’t know my name and you don’t want to ask Ma’am is fine.

This desire to not be called pet names is largely due to a shift in how I wish to be perceived. I used to want to be seen as cute, spunky, energetic and funny. Now I’m a grown ass woman. I want to be seen as competent, committed, accomplished. And you don’t call an accomplished woman Miss. You call us Ma’am.

I really need a financial plan

Confession time again; I don’t have an emergency fund. I don’t have three months of expenses saved up. I sure don’t have anything stashed away for Christmas. I don’t own my house, I don’t own a car.

These are all things I’ve decided that I need to change before I turn 40. That’s the ten-year game plan. And I’m getting a lot better at saving money. Not perfect, mind you. But better.

One thing I do have going for me, or so I thought, is that I’m not in debt. Turns out, though, that there’s good debt and bad debt. No debt is almost as bad as bad debt when you start making real financial plans. Like, for instance, what I’m going to talk about next.

I want to buy a house

You probably know that I grew up broke. My grandmother owned her house, my great grandmother owned her house. My mom did not. She was a waitress, we rented. I have always rented. I never thought that buying a house would be something I could do.

Recently I’ve realized that not only can I buy a house, I want to. I really want to own my own home. It’s going to be a damn journey, let me tell you. But I’m going to do it.

How many of you have turned 30? How did it change your life or your perspective of yourself? Maybe it didn’t at all? Let us know in the comments below. Or, you know, just wish me a happy birthday.