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North Carolina Woman Holds 30th Birthday Party At Costco

When you think of ideal destinations to celebrate a milestone birthday, what comes to mind? Vegas? Miami? Aruba? Not for Madison Stimmel of Charlotte, North Carolina, who celebrated her 30th…

Costco north carolina birthday

A North Carolina woman celebrated her birthday at a Costco store.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

When you think of ideal destinations to celebrate a milestone birthday, what comes to mind? Vegas? Miami? Aruba? Not for Madison Stimmel of Charlotte, North Carolina, who celebrated her 30th birthday at everyone's favorite wholesale store: Costco!

Let's face it, do you really need some lavish getaway to celebrate your latest trip around the sun? In THIS economy? I don't think so. Neither does Madison, who is a self-professed Costco fanatic.

In a statement to Fox Business, Madison explains the reasoning behind her unorthodox choice of venue for her big day. "My family and I love Costco and have been members for years," Madison said. "I really didn’t want to do anything ‘big or fancy’ for my birthday this year and Costco just popped into my head."

The newly 30 year old documented her b-day outing on TikTok, complete with her and her entire family decked out in matching Costco hoodies.

Once they were all seated in the store's food court (yes, Costco has a food court. God bless America!), Madison ordered food for everyone. As she and a family member place the order Madison remarks that this will be, "the cheapest birthday dinner yet."

And it seems she was correct in that prediction. In the video's caption Madison clarified that the entire dinner spread - including five hotdogs and sodas, a chicken bake, a Caesar salad and a whole cheese pizza - came out to only $30.88. Talk about a budget birthday bash!

And to top it off, some Costco employees saw Madison and her family celebrating and gave her an entire birthday cake on the house. The workers also apparently sang "Happy Birthday" to her as well. Madison's face is absolutely glowing as she remarks on the generous dessert offering.

All in all it sounds like a perfect way to ring in your 30s. I was planning on going skydiving for my own 30th in a couple months, but honestly this sounds way more fun. Happy birthday to Madison and big ups to Costco for being a sleeper birthday spot for the ages!

Vintage Gadgets: Outdated Tech That Still Sparks Joy

Best Buy has announced that starting in 2024, following this holiday season, they will discontinue the sale of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD discs, both in their physical stores and online. They have said the reason for this decision is due to the increasing popularity of streaming services.  This move aligns with the prevailing trend, as more people turn to streaming for their entertainment needs.

Physical Media

Physical media does come with certain inconveniences, such as taking up space and limited mobile accessibility. But there are still people who appreciate the more traditional way of enjoying movies and music. There are some advantages of owning Blu-rays and DVDs. These include owning what you buy and having bonus content you can't get anywhere else.

Pagers!

In the '90s, owning a pager was considered a status symbol and a fashion statement. Today, it's even possible to purchase a fully functional vintage Motorola pager from online marketplaces like eBay.

Outdated but not obsolete.

With the widespread use of mobile phones and free calling applications that offer unlimited calls via Wi-Fi, traditional landlines may eventually become obsolete. However, the complete phasing out of this technology may take some time. This is because certain regions or countries still contend with unreliable internet or cellular coverage. As of August 2023, Community Phone reports that approximately 40.35 million households in the United States still maintain landline phones, and 38.1 million households have both a landline and a cell phone.

For some people, "new" technology doesn’t always mean "better." On Reddit, a user started a discussion thread asking, “What outdated or obsolete tech are you still using and are perfectly happy with?” The thread received more than 16,000 responses from people who shared the outdated everyday items they still happily use. Check some of them out below.

A Physical Calculator

You probably haven't seen a calculator in ages, but a Reddit user chimed in to say that, for them, the old-school scientific calculator beats the one on your phone or any app. They simply put it like this, "Honestly, a standard scientific calculator is just easier to use than your phone's built-in scientific calculator." It could be the fun button-tapping sound or the nostalgic thrill of typing in cheeky words with numbers that makes this person prefer calculators.

Close up calculator on business working desk, dark background concept.

Kanizphoto/ Getty Images

Watches That Only Tell The Time

Smartwatches may pack in loads of features, but there's a catch - they need regular charging and maintenance, and their battery life is shorter. On the flip side, traditional watches are a low-maintenance choice with longer battery life. In fact, a Redditor mentioned they still rock a "a lovely, inexpensive, bombproof, analog, big face Casio." They also pointed out that smartwatches aren't allowed at their job, so their trusty Casio gets the job done.

Wristwatch isolated on white background

popovaphoto/ Getty Images

CD Player, MP3 Player, and Vinyl Albums

If you've put a ton of effort into collecting CDs and vinyl records, and creating some killer playlists, why ditch them, right? One person told their story about growing up in the '90s, building a massive CD collection, and stashing them all in one of those Case Logic CD binders. They fondly shared, "I still keep it with me in my car and it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane every time I open it. I laughed and cried a little when my kids friend asked me what it was and I said, 'CDs' and they followed up with, 'What’s that?'" But also: not everything is available on streaming services.  That obscure soundtrack or tribute album from the '80s? Licensing issues may have prevented it from hitting the streamers.  Love Joni Mitchell? Well, Spotify doesn't have her catalog. Sure, you can subscribe to another service, but if you kept your old vinyl and have a turntable, you can listen to it the old school way.

Piles of CDs in a shelf.

IngaNielsen/ Getty Images

"I Love Wires"

You have people who can't stand a tangle of wires in their tech setup, and then there's that Reddit user who's all about the wired life. They firmly believe that wired networking is "not obsolete or outdated." According to them, it's superior in every aspect, except for the mobility it lacks compared to wireless. They put it simply, "Wired is the ideal, you only go wireless if running cable is unfeasible for the situation.

Pile of tangled old smart technology wires, used charging cables and connectors for electronic devices in men's hand. The concept of recycling and disposal of electronic waste.

Diana Sand/ Getty Images

A Regular Doorbell

A regular doorbell does its job well. It lets you know someone's at the door. On the other hand, a video doorbell does the same but with the perk of letting you see and hear the person at your door, even if you're not home. Someone mentioned they'd be up for a smart doorbell if it kept the data local. They said, "I don't want anything being sent online, so I might need to set up my own system... I'll just stick with the traditional kind."

A finger ringing a doorbell.

eurobanks/ Getty Images

Physical Buttons

A Redditor shared their affection for good old physical buttons, arguing that not everything needs to go the touchscreen route. They stressed the importance of having car radios equipped with buttons rather than screens, believing it's a safer choice. They explained, "It’s easier for me to push a button to change the music while keeping my eyes on the road/ I can’t do that if my car has a screen. It increases distracted driving incidents."

Radio panal control in Car, Dashboard

Supersmario/ Getty Images