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How to Turn 30 in Style

by Erika Torres
17 comments

I had grand dreams of hosting a huge 30th birthday bash with all my friends, renting a limo, and going to L.A. for a fancy dinner and a night out clubbing with lots of drinking.

The only problem was I don’t really drink anymore and I like to be in bed by 10 pm. So a night out on the town wasn’t really my idea of fun.

So I asked myself: what do I really love to do?

Well, travel–duh.

And since April is also the same month as our anniversary, I feel like we can go a little bit overboard.

So a trip to Cabo was booked to really truly reign in my 30th birthday in style (since I was actually really looking forward to this milestone birthday).

After worrying that we wouldn’t be able to travel at all this year because of Eric’s new job, I was able to book a trip within the regular six days off that Eric gets off due to his normal firefighter schedule.

We chose Cabo because it’s only a 2.5 hour flight and we could fly direct from our local airport (10 mins from our house) rather than driving to LAX.

Plus, we were able to book an all-inclusive, and utilized $600 worth of credit card points to help pay for a chunk of the trip.

Going to Cabo was the best decision!

All we did was eat, drink, and sleep. Unlike other vacations where you plan, plan, plan and do, do, do, this vacation was solely for drinking and eating–and that we did!

Eric even booked a couples massage for us on our last full day.

There was so much to do at the hotel we stayed at (full review coming soon) that the only time we left was for our dolphin swim outing–an item that I’ve had on my bucket list for a long time.

Overall, we had such a wonderful time that when I actually woke up on my birthday, I completely forgot for over an hour that it was actually my birthday! Good thing Eric remembered…

I guess forgetting things starts to happen at my age… 😉

After using $600 of credit card points, the trip cost us $1400 with roundtrip airfare, airport transportation, and all-inclusive hotel included for a five-day, four-night trip.

We had a fabulous time!

Go big or go home, right? 

17 comments

Glen Main August 25, 2016 - 10:23 pm

Now that’s how you celebrate the big 3-0! Sound like you had tons of fun. Whether you go clubbing, travel to a remote island or stay at home and cook a great dinner, the important thing is you had a blast and a meaningful celebration. As for me, Cabo is onto my list!

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larissa August 10, 2016 - 8:49 am

Sounds like an amazing birthday! I definitely can tell ya’ll had a huge amount of fun! It looks like you definitely celebrated in style and it is so impressive how much you were able to accomplish in one birthday! Awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing!

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bryanflake1984 August 10, 2015 - 12:50 pm

I am taking my wife away on our anniversary trip in a few months. It would be fun to make our fifth anniversary special. My hope is to rent a limo to take us to the airport. We live far enough away, that we could totally have some fun with the limo ride.

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How We're Saving Half Our Income June 10, 2014 - 5:17 pm

[…] we even went to Cabo with money that was budgeted for in our Travel budget, and we used credit card reward points to pay […]

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$100 Giveaway: How We Score Big with Amex | Newlyweds on a Budget May 5, 2014 - 9:00 am

[…] to our Amex, we were able to use $500 worth of points for my 30th birthday trip to Cabo, bringing our trip total from $2,000 to $1,500—not bad for an all-inclusive hotel and airfare […]

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Lindsay @ The Newlywed Notebook May 3, 2014 - 7:17 pm

Hi there! I just had to stop by and say that I’m so excited to have randomly stumbled across your blog! I’m a newlywed blogger myself so it was really fun to discover your blog and see how our stories overlap and how they are different! Anyway, I’m excited to follow along on your journey. 🙂 Happy Birthday!!

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Amy May 2, 2014 - 7:26 pm

That’s the way to do it up right! I agree that an experience (versus a party or a ton of food or posting up at a bar all night) is the way to go. Happy belated birthday, by the way!

I want to hear more about the resort. Haha! After you mentioned Cabo on my blog, it’s become a real contender for my vacation later this year.

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anna May 2, 2014 - 7:01 pm

Wow, what an amazing way to celebrate your birthday, and you look positively glowing and happy! Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!!

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J @BoyfriendIsABanker May 2, 2014 - 6:50 am

That is such a good idea for a 30th birthday!!! I think we’re a lot a like, because on vacations, I love to sleep and eat, haha! Best thing ever!! Plus, by you two going away instead of doing one night with a limo and fancy bars, you probably ended up getting way more bang for your buck! Happy Birthday!

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Megan May 1, 2014 - 10:19 am

So awesome, girl! I’ve been loving the pics. And happy birthday!!

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CeCe @Pink Sunshine May 1, 2014 - 8:36 am

Clubbing and drinking all night sounds like a fun celebration in theory but in reality I too am not so into it anymore. Travel is ALWAYS the perfect gift to yourself and a perfect celebration. Glad you fit it in and used those points to save on it. We are going to Cabo in June. I can’t wait!

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Chloe (Marriage & Money) May 1, 2014 - 7:35 am

Cabo is a great way to celebrate your birthday, sounds like such a fun trip! I’m also turning 30 this year (in August) & have no idea what I’m doing. Although, I will be a 2-week old newlywed by then so we’ll have done plenty of celebrating already 🙂

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Ris May 1, 2014 - 7:29 am

Hooray for travel for a big birthday! We’re doing the exact same thing for my 30th (which is randomly today). All I wanted was a fun weekend getaway to NYC so we’re headed there over Memorial Day, also thanks to airline and hotel points. Here’s to 30 and fabulous. Happy belated birthday!

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Tonya@Budget and the Beach May 1, 2014 - 6:55 am

So incredibly jealous of the swimming with dolphins!! I LOVE that pic where it’s giving yu a kiss! I think a vacation is a fabulous way to ring in a milestone b-day!

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Shannon May 1, 2014 - 6:29 am

What a fabulous way to celebrate your birthday!!! Cannot wait to hear about the resort!

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Akirah May 1, 2014 - 4:15 am

Man that sounds awesome. And honestly, such a good idea. Next year, it’ll be my 30th and Dan’s 40th…our birthdays are within 2 months of each other…in winter. Perhaps we should take a little adventure too! Happy birthday…I’m glad you had a good time!

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Tanner May 1, 2014 - 4:14 am

Oh wow, HAPPY BDAY! That’s an awesome price for such a great vacation. Love the photos! Indeed, it is worth it to go big. I am more like you (like to be in bed by 10, and really dont drink at all), but traveling is more of my thing. Maybe I’ll plan something for when that date comes in 3 years. What a way to kick off your next milestone, with knocking things off your bucketlist!

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