30th Birthday Gift Ideas

Mary Ruddy

For most people, their 30th birthday is a milestone. For the majority of people it is the year and the time of life when they feel as though they are still young enough to accomplish all their dreams, yet feel they have lived long enough to have acquired some wisdom.

By age 30, most people have started a family, tried several different jobs, and have actually begun to settle on their career choice, and gotten married at least once.

In short, by age thirty most people have left behind those hard partying nights, and childish “got to have it now” moments and have matured and are ready to take on a new chapter in their lives.

All of these changes don’t happen overnight, but to friends and family members who suddenly see that new more mature person, coming up with some 30th birthday gift ideas can be a real challenge.

But choosing the perfect gift for that 30th birthday doesn’t have to be difficult or frustrating, if you take time to consider each person individually.

30th Birthday Gift Ideas For Him

By the time most men reach their 30th birthday they have usually given up their days of sowing wild oats, and have settled down to a full time job and a family.

They tend to be less focused on their individual wants than they are on the needs of the family.

If you have a friend or family member approaching 30, then choosing 30th birthday gifts for him that will help to maintain and pursue some of his own interests will usually be appreciated.

Some general gift ideas for him you might want to think about are:

  • Dress shirts or ties if he needs to look professional for work, or if he is simply a guy who likes to dress nice
  • Gift cards to his favorite place to eat lunch, shop, or get his hobby supplies
  • A basket filled with his favorite snacks, beer, and music
  • A book filled with quotes or statistics on turning 30
  • If he is a beer drinker, why not get 30 bottles of all different varieties of beer for him to try
  • For a more personal gift, why not put together a scrapbook of his achievements over the last 30 years

30th Birthday Gift Ideas For Her

Many times women dread their 30th birthday. Perhaps because turning 30 makes them feel that they are no longer young, and the combination of work and family often makes them feel as though they are not as attractive as they once were.

30th birthday gifts for women should be something that helps them feel glamorous or that encourages them to maintain and pursue their own interests.

Remember that whenever you purchase a birthday gift for someone, the gift should be something the person wants, but would not ordinarily buy for themselves.

If you have a wife, partner, sister, daughter, niece, god-daughter, grand-daughter, aunt, or friend turning 30, then here are some general 30th birthday gift ideas for her that you might want to consider:

  • A nice spa basket filled with her favorite shampoo, conditioner, lotions and scented candles
  • A gift certificate for a day of free babysitting so she can get out and do something she really enjoys
  • A gift basket with her favorite bottle of wine, the latest book by her favorite author, and a CD of her favorite songs
  • A nice piece of jewelry that has been on her wish list

Gifts That Take Their Professional Ambitions And Goals Into Consideration

Many 30 year olds are either just embarking on a serious career or they are looking to advance in a field they have been working in for a while.

Choosing a birthday gift that will help them achieve that professional image they are striving to build is a great way to show your support, while also providing them with a useful gift.

For example, here are a few career based gift ideas for various professions:

  • A good embossed and initialled briefcase for a business man or woman. Whether that career is in business, real estate, law, banking or some other profession, a high quality briefcase will be useful and it will help that birthday boy or girl look a tad bit more professional
  • A chef knife or set of chef’s knives for that high class cook. A cook’s knives are said to be extremely personal to those with career goals in the field of fine dining, so why not help them to build that collection of high quality knives
  • Tools for the tradesmen. Whether a car mechanic, construction worker, a plumper, or a repairman, tradesmen never seem to have every tool they need or want. So gifting them with one or more tools on their wish list will leave them feeling happy and supported in their job choice.
  • Accessories to go with their professional dress. Buying something that goes with the professional wardrobe often makes a welcome gift. Small but quality items such as cuff links, tie tacks, or a scarf can help that special birthday person dress for success.

Gifts To Encourage Their Hobbies

By age 30, many people have begun at least one hobby they will enjoy throughout their life, and gifts that match people’s hobbies are always appreciated.

Some gift ideas for people with hobbies may include such things as:

  • Items for the avid collector, whether they have a coin or stamp collection, collect figurines, or collect books on a certain subject, collectors love receiving pieces to add to their collection.
     Sports equipment gifts also make great gifts for the active person. Fishing lures, reels, and even a new rod for fisherman, a golf hat and clubs for the golfer, or even a season ski pass for the avid skier, all make wonderful gifts that you can be sure the sports orientated person will love.
  • Other hobby related gifts may include seed packets and tools for the avid gardener, craft supplies for the quilter or those who like to work with clay, art supplies, and even puzzles. The list of gift ideas for people with hobbies is endless.

Personal Gifts

Once the majority of people reach 30, they become a bit more settled and tend to prefer personal items that will last a long time, since their taste won’t be changing every other week or so.

So look for personal items that the birthday person will treasure for years to come, such as trinkets, or high quality wallets, or even some art work by their favorite artist.

Of course gift cards to their favorite spa, restaurant, or coffee shop will never go out of style, and they will allow them to have a treat that they may not feel they can afford on their own if they are budget conscious.

Humorous Gifts

Of course, turning 30 doesn’t mean that the birthday boy or girl has completely lost their sense of humor.

So whether they are looking forward to marking this milestone birthday or dreading it, a humorous gift that relates to their age and reminds them that turning 30 is not the end of the world may actually be a great gift for the right person.

The Key To Purchasing The Perfect 30th Birthday Gift

The key to purchasing the perfect birthday gift for that 30 year old on your shopping list is to simply take the time to listen to what they enjoy doing, things that they mention they would like to have, or activities they enjoy.

It’s really amazing just how many ideas you get just by having a conversation around the water cooler, or during that break at work.

And remember that most people are pleased, simply by the fact that the people around them cared enough to notice those little things and to give them a gift that shows that they listened and really thought about buying something that the person could really use or enjoy.