Love

28 Bad Relationship Habits You Desperately Need To Lose By Age 30

Photo: H_Ko / Shutterstock
woman holding a bottle in bed

Dating is fun. It's also a lot of trial and error.

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:

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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?

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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.

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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.

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Alex Alexander is a pseudonym. The author of this article is known to YourTango but is choosing to remain anonymous.