Today, April 24th, is my 28th Birthday. God has blessed me far beyond what I could have ever imagined. At such a young age, I am in awe of His goodness towards me. Though I don’t consider my self an expert anything in this life, I have learned a few lessons. Some were harder than others, but they were all meaningful. Below are 5 that I consider important and practical enough to share with you.

5 Things To Know Before Your 28th Birthday

You get what you pay for.

Being a working mom of two toddlers, I’m always looking for ways to save time and money. Before I was a mom I was still pretty frugal and would do my best to save every dime I could. Instant gratification comes at a price, which is normally quality or health. Here’s an example of what I mean:

Grocery Pickup: I’m a HUGE fan of grocery pickup and even services like Instacart when I’m crunched for time. However, these services come at a cost. Grocery pickup will sometimes result in costly errors or items being unavailable. Then, you still have to go into the store anyway or do without your items. Instacart, and related services, place an additional charge on each item. As much as I love time management, when possible it’s best to just go into the store.

When it comes to healthcare, always call.

I have gone through hundreds of scenarios with doctors and insurance companies. Whether it be annual physicals, prenatal care, children’s visits, or even massage therapy, you should always call to go over your claims.

I have been overcharged for routine vaccinations, breast pumps, and a variety of other things over the last few years. All of my issues were only able to be resolved because I called in so frequently. Even if the policy says one thing, if you were told something else when you called in, the insurance company will honor what was said by the original representative. Normally, I call prior to receiving any service that is not 100% paid by insurance. Then, I call back if anything appears abnormal after the procedure or appointment.

This seems like and is a very tedious process. Despite that, it has honestly saved me more money than cutting coupons ever will.

As You Evolve, So Will Your Friends

This has been a hard lesson for me. As I read each “Happy 28th Birthday!” notification from old and new friends, I have a variety of emotions about each one. I have had extremely close friends, like brother and sister, who only remained in my life for just a season before making a quiet exit. I’ve lost friends after getting married and even more after becoming a mother. As I’ve gotten closer to God and aligning my life with his Word, a lot of people find me boring. I bet now you’re wondering how I have any friends at all.

To be honest, I don’t have many. But the ones I do have are amazing. Many of the friends who exited my life have had life changes as time passed. They’re now parents, married, or are also seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus. Now, I don’t seem as boring because they are faced with the same limitations or changes of heart that I had to deal with. Sub lesson: I also don’t have a ton of friends because everyone isn’t praying for your success. Everyone can’t be confided in. There are some people who will suck you dry of your prayer, help, and kindness…and offer absolutely nothing in return. Or maybe they offer a few things: drama, jealousy, or negativity.

Don’t get me wrong, I have quite a few acquaintances and no qualms about building new friendships. Still, as I have become more aware of the enemy and his schemes as well as God’s voice amongst the chaos…I know to be alert when it comes to letting people get close to the things I hold most dear.

Your HEALTH is more important than your WEIGHT.

This goes hand in hand with my other point about instant gratification. I’m so tired of seeing pills, powders, and potions for weight loss among people my age. If you’re training to be a body builder or a swimsuit model, okay, maybe you need some extra supplemental assistance. However, for the rest of us, we just need to put healthier, natural foods in our bodies!

For some reason people seem to think that my family is super in shape based on the recipes I post. I’m not a nutritionist and I’ve lost about 6-7 pounds total since our latest lifestyle change. But I haven’t done anything special. Let me be totally transparent. I rarely go to the gym. My family just eats plant based food about 80% of the week, and junk the other 20%.

My husband and I were in our best health when we completed the Mr. Shut Up and Train Total Fit Challenge. We exercised almost every day for 21 days and ate only clean (unprocessed foods). Eating better is the hardest part and it does take time to see significant results, but don’t give up. Don’t trade health, for short term weight loss you can’t sustain.

Self Care Can Be Free

You know, in this culture of self-care, “check on your strong friend”, get therapy…you can start to feel like your pockets aren’t deep enough to thwart depression or anxiety. For awhile, I let society tell me what self care should look like and because I couldn’t afford to do it, I just did nothing at all. Let’s look at a few things self care can look like.

$$$$

• Therapy
• Massage Membership
• Gym Membership
• Nail Salon Visit
• Retail Therapy
• Girl’s Night Out

FREE

• Phone Calls With Friends
• Bible Study
• Worship in Church/Free Concerts
• Walking or Running
• Bubble Baths
• Girl’s Night In
• Journaling
• Window Shopping

Oh and…

My 28th Birthday most importantly taught me how to lean on God. When I don’t understand the how or the why…his plans are STILL the greatest. This is a statement I confidently make having seen the results in my own life. I have literally cried about God’s plans for me. I wondered why my path couldn’t be easier or different. Yet still, I prayed for His glory to shine over anything I could want. And He has always made it work for His good while pouring blessings on my family.

I hope that these practical tips helped you. If you agree or have any tips you don’t like to share about your own pending or past 28th Birthday, please post a comment!