You have to figure out what you like, and sometimes that means erroneously going back to the same men who do not have your name saved on their phones. It’s all about balance. You get to make out with hot guys and cry over the stupid ones and you always have a funny story to tell your girls. Dating in your 20s is like that. However, you should take what you learn from dating in your 20s to dating in your 30s. It’s not as funny anymore when your friends keep hearing about the same jerk that you won’t break up with. You really do have to learn and grow from the dating mistakes you make, or else you’ll be stuck with the same type of men who are like overgrown children — and being an overgrown child is not sexy.
Here are 29 dating habits to break by the time you turn 30, gathered from our wise Yourtango staff:
RELATED: I Went Out With A Homeless Man (And Didn’t Know It)
1. Dating
Cue uncomfortable laughter.
2. Your sleeping arrangements
Sleeping on a futon isn’t sexy anymore. It actually never was.
3. You’re not 21 anymore
Drinking until you’re blackout drunk is fun only a handful of times.
4. Your clothing choices
Wearing dresses that reveal everything.
5. Your traveling choices
Staying in hostels, especially in dorm rooms with strangers.
6. Worrying about the guys you dated in the past
Obsessing over your high school sweetheart? Who cares what Josh is doing now? He cheated on you in college.
7. Worrying about more guys you dated in the past
Obsessing over your college sweetheart? He also cheated on you in college.
8. Swearing
Using the “f-bomb” every 5 seconds isn’t cute.
9. Makeup Habits
Wearing your makeup to bed does no one any good.
10. Not being in bed by 10:30
Staying out all night? How do you have that much energy? RELATED: An Actual Ghost Crashed My Date
11. Age gaps
Making out with 19-year-olds at parties? That man can’t even rent a car.
12. Living alone
Living with your parents helps with money, but the toll it takes on your mental health is not worth it.
13. Getting with someone who doesn’t have their own place
Dating someone who lives with their parents might feel like sneaking around in high school but when you catch his dad making coffee in the morning while your sneaking out doesn’t have the same effect when you’re 30. (Although some people make a convincing case for the opposite.)
14. Not having your own money
Borrowing money from your parents to take someone on a date? Are you 13?
15. The number of your partners
Having multiple one-night stands isn’t as fulfilling as you think it is.
16. Kissing your friends
Making out with your BFFs at bars for attention isn’t gonna work for you anymore.
17. Kissing your boyfriend everywhere
Making out with your boyfriend at bars for attention is only going to make people annoyed
18. Still holding out for a reunion
Carrying a torch for anyone you haven’t seen in the last five years is exhausting. Move on.
19. Hating all men
Declaring an entire gender “all jerks” isn’t fair. You had some blame for those relationships failing as well.
20. Not caring about your vagina
Skipping regular gyno exams isn’t good.
21. Your celebrity crush
Crushing on Justin Bieber isn’t fun anymore. That man peed in a bucket. RELATED: 10 Of The Most Horrible, Cringeworthy Date Stories Of All Time
22. Expecting a fairytale romance
Expecting a man/knight in shining armor to swoop in and save you isn’t going to happen.
23. Tinder
Using Tinder to pick up guys isn’t working. Clearly.
24. Your courting techniques
Expecting a man to do all the wooing? Come on Ms. Feminism. And a few, courtesy of Twitter:
25. @GiaKaleena
You shouldn’t date anyone under 25.
26. @gfernandez1989
Going to nightclubs every weekend and getting drunk. Have some morals and responsibilities.
27. @MacTalian
Saying: “I’ll settle down when I get older.”
28. @GagaxJudas
Clubbing at 18+ clubs. RELATED: 4 Dating Horror Stories Everyone Who’s Tried Tinder Can Totally Relate To Alex Alexander is a pseudonym. The author of this article is known to YourTango but is choosing to remain anonymous.
