Thirty *over* 30

I’ve seen a lot of these posts going around this year, so I thought I’d compile ones from my brainmeats. Some I’ve seen, most I have not. Hopefully, this will help some folks.

Please note, not all of these might be do-able for you. Folks who are disabled, for example, will probably struggle. If you are able-bodied/minded, please do your best to help others. Some may simply not apply. Feel free to skip over these.

Because of this, list entry number zero is community. Joining, or creating, communities is how we lift each other up. If you are in a good place, it is your moral duty to help others who are not.

With that…

Things you should do when you’ve hit 30 years old

In no particular order…

1. Keep your hand on the railing. Be it a staircase, escalator, or moving sidewalk. As you age, your balance starts to go, and your body is more fragile especially when it comes to falls. Falling sucks. Ask me how I know.
2. Plan for a financial future. Here in the USA, social security is not going to be around once you retire. And if you want to retire, you’re going to need money. Make sure you’re putting the maximum money into your 401(k) plan. Invest in that Roth IRA. Do not buy precious metals or cryptocurrency. Do not play the stock market.
3. Buy more, better, shoes. You may have heard about the “Boots Theory” positied by Terry Pratchett. Basically, if you buy a pair of shoes (boots) which last five years, which cost 2-3 as much as a pair of shoes you’ll wear out in a year, you’ll come out well ahead. In addition, good shoes will improve your health by providing arch support and so on. Finally, if you have more than one pair of shoes, swapping them out on a day to day basis means they will last longer than wearing the same pair every day.
4. Buy a home. This one is hard. I haven’t managed it. But if you can, be it by yourself, with a partner, or even a group of like-minded people who co-purchase a home, you will come out ahead. Landlords suck,both your money and in their responsibility to you as a renter. Plus, this feeds into #2, your financial future. Consider a fixer-upper and look into plans your state has for first-time home buyers. You may have to live somewhere inconvenient, and yeah, that’ll suck as well, but it can be overcome.
5. Learn to cook. I am not saying to become a multiple star Michelin chef here. Just the basics. If that means using Hello Fresh to get up to speed, go for it! Internet tutorials (just avoid that AI)! Ask your friend who knows how to cook to come over and teach you. Cooking is a tradeoff of time for money for sure, and if you are like me the spoons are not always available to go shopping or cook. This is okay, you just want to build the skill set for when it is needed.
6. Check the weather ahead of time. No, seriously. Use the NWS website, it is free! Keep an eye on the weather for the next few days so you are not surprised. If you have a smartphone, it is right there in your hand.
7. Get organized. Everyone’s organization is different. Post it notes everywhere, kanban boards, bullet journals, clay tablets. Find a system which works for you, and make it a habit. As you age, your memory starts to go, especially short term. Fun, huh? Develop the organizational habits now, for future you.
8. Do some travel. Even if it is just getting in a car, on a train, subway, or bus. Go places cheaply. Your life is just going to get more complicated, and harder. Go experience museums, culture, food, whatever. Leaf peeping in autumn, beach time in the warmer weather. I like taking the subway or train to the end of the line and see what’s nearby. If you can finagle long-distance travel, hitting a sale, using points, whatever, then take that trip! Get a AAA membership (or equivalent). Free roadside assistance from your credit card, if you have it, is not the same. AAA can help you register your car, handle DMV/RMV without going in, can provide maps, trip info, and an almost universal 10% discount for hotels, train and airline tickets, and so much more!
9. Children? Now you really need some Prior Planning. Housing, food, education. Medical bills. Probably therapy (alas). Setting them up to succeed. Get a savings account set up now and automatically deposit money into it. Buy long-term fixed rate CDs or similar which lock away the money. There’s plenty of good financial advice out there. Then, sit down and have a hard think about what life you want your descendants to have, so you can plan as best as you can.
10. Similarly, pets. Get pet insurance for them when they are young, so when they get old and the bills rack up, you have something to help. Research reputable ones. Keep the premiums paid. And then prepare for end of life The best advice I can give is that a beloved pet’s time to cross over is all about quality of life. Be ready.
11. Learn to thrift, and thrift well. Fast fashion sucks. Hard. It is complete money sink. Head out to local thrift stores, and look for older clothing with recognizable labels. Check for good stitching, and sturdy fabric. Even lightweight clothing should feel nice, and not ultra ultra thin (unless you luck out and find silk). Avoid hunting for brand names and definitely don’t chase the legendary pair of Levi’s jeans. Thrift stores can also provide entire sets of dishes, pots and pans, all sorts of things. However, one caveat: avoid the Salvation Army. They’re evil, do not give them your money, either at their stores or into their holiday cauldrons.
12. DIY is your friend. You want to learn to fix things. I have purchased a few books on household repairs, and I regularly do minor repairs around my apartment. I have the Chilton’s Guide for my car, I know how to check my car’s fluids and how to change the battery. I own a sewing machine I got for cheap. I’m not a great tailor, but I can do basic mending and hemming. Patches for your clothing when they get holes. Get a basic toolbox, and keep it handy. You don’t need to buy a lot of power tools, but a battery-powered drill is really handy. Keep an assortment of wood screws and nails with the toolbox.
13. Get another vehicle for your household. This one is brutal, I know. But if your only vehicle breaks down, like mine did recently, you are up the creek. If you live in a heavy-transit location, this means less for you. It also means services like Lyft and Uber are available. For folks outside of population-dense areas, even a cheap banger will be a lifesaver when the time comes. And when it comes time for regular maintenance on your car, you have a backup ready.
14. Build up multiple income sources. If you have a job, take a side gig. Learn some new skills and put them into practice. I’m not saying you have to monetize your hobbies or art, but when you lose one income having others means the hit is lessened. Maybe this is setting yourself up to Grubhub/Doordash/Lyft/Uber/whatever. Set up a small business helping other people do what you know how to do. And if unemployment comes, you are usually allowed to earn supplemental money up to a certain limit.
15. Backup, backup, and backup. Use the 3-2-1 strategy of having 3 copies in 2 locations 1 of which is not in your home/on your computer. There are good services such as iDrive which can back your stuff up. If you are a writer or artist, the internet is not permanent. Never trust your publisher to keep your stuff. Always keep copies locally! Backups also matter for your personal documents, such as your ID, birth certificate, etc. Get notarized copies. Request another state-issued ID because your lost yours. Get your medical records from your doctor/clinic/dentist/whatever, make copies, and store them in a fireproof box. Copy any digital records, important emails, etc. onto a USB drive as well. Critical safety note: Most fireproof boxes are only good for paper, keeping the internal temperature below 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius. Plastic can melt in this heat. If you are storing plastic in there, which includes your passport, usb drives, and ID, you must get one designed to protect down to around an internal temperature of 200F/100C.
16. Securing your abode is important. The basic precaution is a security camera watching your front door, so you know when people approach, or can image capture a porch thief. You want a 4K camera that’s good at night. Alarms are good, but costs extra. If you can afford it, places like Simplisafe have regular sales on their equipment. Avoid products such as Google Nest and Ring! These companies regularly sell the recordings, give access to police and other authorities, without your consent or even you knowing about it. Check the fine print! Also, in many jurisdictions, recording audio of someone without their permission is illegal. This is usually referred to as “two party consent”. Buyer beware! Most door locks can be easily be opened by people with low skills. Install a good lock if you can. If you’re renting, you can’t really do this, alas. Want to hide a spare key somewhere so you are not locked out? Do not use a fake rock. Thieves know to look for these things. Use a sturdy, high-quality lock box secured somewhere solid (so it cannot be stolen). Search on YouTube for the model of your lock and “Lockpicking Lawyer” to see if the lock box (and locks in general) are easily compromised.
17. Self-defense is a thing. Be aware of your surroundings. As you get older, you become an easier mark. As late-stage capitalism makes more and more people to become desperate, you are more likely to be victimized. Nothing is worth your life. Self-defenses courses can help, but these are not available to everyone. As they said in the original Star Wars, “pick up your visual scanning”. Women have known this for a very long time, they live with this every day and doubly so every night. Try not to walk alone. If you can, keep mace or pepper spray on you. A note on firearms: My instructor told me something during my classes. “The moment you pull your firearm, you have lost control of the situation.” Guns will not keep you safe. Lock your cars doors when driving. Secure your hotel room door when traveling. There are straps you can wrap around the door handle and lock to prevent break-ins when you are in your room. Do not leave ID and/or valuables in your motel/hotel room. Be aware of your surroundings.
18. It is time to learn basic first aid. Not only for yourself, or your friends, but for your community and even total strangers. Semper Paratus – always prepared. First aid means basic skills, treating wounds, how to use a tourniquet, how to perform CPR, and how to use inject-able medications such as Narcan and Epi-Pens. It also means getting the supplies and keeping them handy, in your home, in your vehicle, even in your day bag. Look around for free or low-cost first aid courses, and bring friends!
19. Let’s talk about paper. Paper does not crash, nor does it require power to use. Maybe a flashlight. Print out important information, such as your medical records and back them up. See #15. Put paper maps of your city, state, and region into your vehicle. GPS isn’t always available, your phone will run out of power or have no internet service, same for the GPS in your car. These may be hard to find, which is why a AAA membership pays off in spades. If you’re traveling in stealth, paper maps are the safest way to navigate. Buy books. Home maintenance, cookbooks, vehicle repair, basic electronics, land navigation, first aid, and even etiquette (shout out to Emily Post). Lost power in your home? Now you have stuff to read. Do not rely on the internet to save you in a crisis. Murphy’s Law will crush you.
20. Don’t go hungry or thirsty in an emergency. This is not just about keeping a snack bar or three on your person. In your home, you want to build up to keeping two weeks of food on your shelves. One for your and yours, and one for your neighbors. Generally speaking, one week will see you through a power outage, etc. You do not want to be trying to get food when everyone else is, and Grubhub won’t be working! You will want shelf stable food, which means canned goods, rice, and products which can be heated up in a microwave. Chef Boy-ar-dee is perfectly fine. Use the food in your freezer and refrigerator first. You will also want to invest in a camping stove and a couple of canisters of butane/propane as appropriate for the stove you purchase. REI and Eastern Mountain Sports are two places where you can get quality, safe, advice on what to buy. Do not buy MREs or freeze-dried food. MREs are for people living an active lifestyle (you know, our military) and freeze-dried is just overkill. Hardy fruits and veg like apples, corn, root veggies etc. are great. Plus, you want to keep these around anyway. You’ll need water as well. Remember way back in #6 about the weather? If severe weather is on the way, especially if you live in an area with unstable power, fill your bathtub(s) and seal the drain with caulking. You can use the water safely by boiling it, and when you need to flush the toilet you can refill it. Water during a crisis is critical and can become fouled, pipes can freeze, etc. If you have a gas stove, chances are you will not be able to use it, even with a lighter. They have auto-shutoffs which require power to stay open. Even if your stove is old enough, the last thing you want to do is accidentally leave the stove on and fill your home with natural gas. Oh, stock up on fire. Lights, those fireplace lighters, a big box of wooden matches. Just a good plan in general.
21. Don’t tie yourself to one company. For example there’s a lot of people using Youtube for extra income, or basing their income on corporations such as Disney, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, K-Pop stars and so on. Just like a car mechanic knows more than just Ford or Toyota, you should be very diverse to protect yourself. Corporations are fickle, and are not there to help you. At all. And they can shut you down in an instant. Then where will you be? Are you a streamer? Setup all of the services. There’s folks who can help you set this up. An artist who has found a niche in drawing in a similar style? Great! Branch out into more styles. Style is a harsh mistress/master and will leave you behind. And for the love of all you hold holy, don’t support scum. Do your research, else you will find their fandom has crumbled and no one wants to be a part of your wizarding world.
22. Your health is everything. First, get extra supplies of your medications. We live in a world where the best you can get, generally, is a three month supply. But your doctor, pharmacist, and clinic are on your side. They can get you another ‘scrip, they can offer free samples, and other wonderful out of the box thinking. Also? Go get a doctor and dentist. Even if it’s the clinic down the street. Insurance in the USA is hot garbage, but strive to get at least yearly checkups. Don’t let your teeth rot! So many health problems are caused by bad teeth. Again, ask me how I know. Exercise, please. Even if it’s just a 20 minute walk around the block every other day. People with no spoons, I am you. And I am in trouble because I did not exercise. You have until your 40 to get into the habit of healthy. For your home health, change your sheets regularly! Have two sets handy, so you can easily swap out, they’re pretty cheap. Take your blankets to a laundromat with jumbo machines once a year. Clean house regularly. Again, another “this takes an entire silverware drawer” to do, but if you can get in the habit of “cleaning as you go” things will be so much better, and take less spoons from you. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Get away from single-use plastics, make sure to use your cardboard boxes. Offer them up on freecycle/buy nothing sites! Glass containers are your friend, and will last way longer than plastics. Vacuum once a month and get yourself a HEPA filter for the room or rooms you spend the most time in. Little things like this to make yourself and your home healthier will go a very, very long way. Your mental health is important as well, be sure to keep easy-and-fun things to do handy. And, believe it or not, make your bed every morning! Future you will appreciate it. Go get therapy. Go get a mental assessment if you regularly feel down, depressed, lethargic, not eating regularly, over-eating, and so forth. Quick temper? Suicidal idolization? It is okay to ask for help. Tell your friends and family you are feeling like this!
23. Ever hear about a Bugout Bag? Also called tornado/hurricane/earthquake bags, this a single bag that’s ready to go if you need to leave your home in a hurry. If you think about it, there’s other reasons you may need a bag like this ready. What’s in the bag? A pair of sneakers. No, really. A couple of days of clothes with extra socks and underwear. Medications, dental care, a small first aid kit. A bottle of water and some snacks. A map is good, along with some power banks and all the cables for your phone…and to recharge your power banks. You can think of other things, I’m sure. The thing is to personalize a bag for each person and never touch them except if needed, and once every six months to change out perishables. Do you have pets? Then prep their carrier by putting a bag with their supplies (and bowls) into their carrier(s)! Ready to rescue. Also? A ready bag enables an instant vacation. You can just grab your bag and go! Great for that last-minute needed emotional getaway.
24. Leave a light on in the kitchen. Just a small one, like the LED bulb above your stove. Trust me, your eyesight’s gonna go too and your night vision goes with it. Leaving a light on is one of the simplest means of increasing your safety at night. Oh, and while we are here? Change all your bulbs for LED bulbs. Still have incandescent bulbs? People pay good money for those! Remember, CFC/fourescent bulbs must be disposed of properly, as they contain mercury.
25. It’s time to get rid of the plastic in your home. Yeah, it turns out the petrochemical industry may have lied. A lot. Did you know they paid for that 70’s era “sad Native American in pollution” ad? Anyways. Microplastics are in our bodies, but you can get away from them. Just because they got rid of BPAs, doesn’t mean there’s others out there. It turns out, most plastics cannot be recycled! Pretty much the biggest whopper they sold us. Oh, and non-stick pans? Absolutely awful for us. Buy metal. Seek out cast iron and steel pans in thrift stores (#11). Buy glass containers for storing stuff. Pyrex is good, but make sure you get silicone lids. Metal and silicone utensils. It is okay to use paper plates, remember to recycle them. Or burn them in your fireplace. Buy cleaners which come in refillable containers.
26. The more seasons change, the more we need to adapt to them. This is why you want to build up seasonal wardrobes, bedding, etc. I use a cold/warm set. It’ll keep your closets more open, organized, and easier to use. You’ll have the right clothes for the weather. Flannel sheets are amazing. An electric blanket for warming your bed before you get in is affordable luxury. Light cotton sheets make summertime heat easier to bear. And. AND! The added bonus of, as you age, you start having memory issues, so you’ll forget what’s in storage! Every seasonal change, you’ll be surprised by your brand new (ish) wardrobe. And you can cull out the stuff with holes, which do not fit, etc. and replace them by thrifting (#11). New-to-you clothes are a big boost for mental health, and this is a great way to get that boost without spending a lot of hard earned cash.
27. Anger clouds your judgement. From road rage to not remembering to do things because you were angry at the time, so you rushed through things. Anger is anti-productivity and anti-success. Feeling angry? Take a deep breath and take a step away from the situation. This is a skill, which is only learned through practice. Get angry a lot? There may be reasons, so please check with your medical care. “Anger is a weapon only to one’s opponent.”
28. Did you know your taste buds change as you age? Give food you think you do not like a try! You may be pleasantly surprised, and the worst case is you keep not liking it. Heck, I like a lot of sushi now, and for most of my life I couldn’t stand it. Sweetbreads can continue to not appear on my plate. Worried about new allergies? Sample a small amount. Becoming more adventurous with food is a great way to branch out, have new experiences, and even learn about other countries and cultures. It’s win-win. This pairs up nicely with #5.
29. Read more. Maybe books. Use a digital magazine service like Readly, which allows you to read magazines from around the world. If you have no room for books, then a 12″ tablet can be your portal. Ret new genres and ideas. Read science magazines. Read farming magazines. Expand your horizons and knowledge, and you’ll not only learn more, but you can be a greater asset to your community through knowledge ad understanding.
30. Get a library card. Libraries are not just books! They are resources, and research. They frequently have markerspaces with 3d printers, laser cutters, and tools! They are an incredible community hub and you’ll meet many cool people. Also, you can ask your library to stock books! And when libraries purchase books, the author gets paid! You can also use the inter-library system to get access to books from other libraries. With the internet destroying itself with LLM slop, your library is a trusted source of truth and practical knowledge.