There are certain milestones in life where you can reasonably expect to have attained a level of achievement. By 19, you should have graduated from high school, and by 25 you should have figured out a career path that you’re (hopefully) already on. And, by the time you’re a woman in her 30s, there are come things that you should have by now.
A Reliable Car
The days of owning a used car that can only be relied upon to break down when you need it most? They should be long gone. As enjoyable as it was to watch your hot and dirty high school boyfriend bent over your car’s engine as he pretended to know how to change the spark plugs, it’s time to move on. By now you should either have a car that you bought new and are making payments on, or one that you already paid off. Oh, and you should also have a nice insurance policy on that car, even if you live in an insurance-optional state such as New Hampshire.
A Quality Mattress
Yes, futons were very trendy for a time, and waterbeds were an even bigger statement-maker. But let’s face it, it’s time you slept on a quality mattress. By now, you should be lounging around on a mattress you bought yourself, not your grandmother’s hand-me-down that’s not even a Queen size, it’s a full. For one thing, you deserve it after working as hard as you do, and for a second thing, your body needs it. No more sagging, springy mattresses for you. These days, you’ve got your pick of innovative mattress designs that your grandmother could never have imagined.
A Tool Box
As an independent woman in her 30s, you’d better have a fully-outfitted tool box on hand. You can’t expect to claim independence and still be calling up your best male friend every time you drop your earring in the kitchen sink. Get a pink tool box if you must, but get one today if you don’t already own one.
A Crock Pot
As a working woman, you might not relish the thought of cooking homemade every night when you get home. With a crock pot, you don’t need to, either. Make sure you get a crockpot with a good timer on it that allows you to set it and forget it. Better yet, make sure it has an automatic off switch for those times when drinks after work turn into sneaking back home at 6 a.m.
A Kickass Hair/Face Mask
Let’s face it. You’ve spent enough time and money testing out hair and facial masks over the years to know which ones work and which ones leave your hair and skin looking stringy and sparse. You should have go-to hair and face masks from a brand you trust.
A Favorite Makeup Brand
Finally, you don’t have to wear your mom’s brand of makeup just because your allowance doesn’t provide enough to go out and buy your own. You should be buying your makeup from a cosmetic counter, too, not the local drugstore or a 24-hour shop.
A Signature Scent
By the time you’re in your 30s, you should have landed on a signature scent. It should be something that makes you feel womanly and strong. Something that others know you by, and something that’s not for sale at Walmart.
So now you have it. Beyond the little black dress, these are the essentials of being an accomplished woman in her 30s. Are you missing one or more of these items? Your life choices may be different, but they shouldn’t be too far off. As a mature and responsible woman, it’s not too much to ask that you have a safe car, along with some of the other niceties of life. You know you deserve them, and so do we.
