They say it’s your birthday. It’s my birthday too, yeah. No, really it is. Scorpio for the win!

I can’t believe I am turning 29. I feel like 2 seconds ago I was 23 and met Ryan for the first time. I was 25 and quit my job and moved across country. 27 and moved to be with my love.

So much has happened and I realize there are so many big, and important little moments that have comprised these past few years. It’s been a rollercoaster for sure.  I am feeling much more content and “together” than I was this time last year.  I often feel like I am so very behind in life, but as long as I am moving forward and not backward (or worse staying stagnant), I think I am doing alright. I am getting there. It’s not a race. I have no one to compete with but myself. Overall, I’m pretty darn happy right now and feeling grateful and lucky. I still have my bad days where depression and anxiety take over, and regret and panic fight for my attention. The good thing about getting older is that I’ve learned to calm down (a smidge).

I’m learning to become myself.

The bad thing is that at 29, you randomly start finding silver hairs on your head and wonder how that happened (seriously).  Other good news about getting older? Free stuff on your birthday! I’m a sucker for free things and get a dopamine rush when I get something I like for free. It’s exhilarating.  Here’s a list of my favorite free things:

Veggie grill: Sign up for their Grill Club and get a free entrée! I LOVE veggie grill, but at $10 a pop for their amazingly good B-Wing salad, I don’t treat myself to this too often. Value: $10

Baskin Robbins: Love ice cream? Sign up for Baskin Robbins’ Birthday Club and get a free scoop on your birthday. Value: $2.75

Starbucks: Do you have a starbucks gift card? If you do, you get one free coffee on your birthday. I plan on getting a free coffee at Dutch Brothers for my birthday. Value: $2-$4.75

Common Ground Wellness Co-Op: This one is for my Portland peeps. Get a free hour at common ground using their outdoor jacuzzi and sauna. This promotion is in very small print, but totally legit. FYI: this place is clothing optional. And totally awesome. Value: $15

Sephora: Sign up to be a beauty insider and get a free gift on your birthday. My friend got some cool stuff and I can’t wait to see what I get.  Value: $5-20 (estimation—Sephora isn’t cheap)

This is just a small sampling of the free stuff you can get. I’m just talking about the real good stuff. Find more free stuff at Freebie Depot and those local to Portland can find an extensive list on Portland on the Cheap.

Do you get free stuff on your birthday? What would you add to the list? How do you really feel about getting older? I dig it, but it’s kind of strange.

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Melanie

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.

Latest posts by Melanie (see all)

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