GUYS: HOW MUCH WOUND U SPEND ON A RING

Some_Watery_Tart

I have a pretty nice "3 months salary" ring. BUT, we're both well-established in our careers. We both own homes. We both have college and retirement funds and emergency savings. We don't carry debt. We're a second marriage/blended family, so combining households increased our cashflow. Unless you are in a situation like that, don't even consider spending that kind of money on a ring. Rings are not important!

I've seen some beautiful engraved gold bands for a few hundred dollars. Or if you really like the diamond look, get a modest CZ in a nice setting. Seriously, no one is going to know the difference. Down the road you can change out the stone if you want. The fashion now is to get something different. Think outside the box.

And remember: it's a piece of jewelry. It's complete acceptable to change it down the road--as many times as you want--for whatever reason. What's important is the guy and the promises you make to each other.

amyk0202

I think you should sit down & figure out how much you can comfortably afford without going into debt & then start shopping the pawn shops & ebay until you find one you like.

I love my rings. The entire set together probably cost about $1200. It was 20 years ago so I don't remember the exact cost. At the time it was a lot of money for us & we were paying on it every month for a while until it was paid off. I used to wear it every day. Then I got pregnant & couldn't wear it because it was too small. Had the baby & could wear it again, but didn't because I didn't want to scratch the baby. Since I had 4 kids pretty close together, I went for a long time not wearing it at all. I just bought a plain gold band & wore it instead because someone said something rude to me when I was pushing my daughter around in a stroller at a wedding show (my sister was planning her wedding)--something about putting the cart in front of the horse . Then I got too fat to wear it, so again it sat in the box. I finally had it sized up & wore it for a while. Now I've lost a bunch of weight & it's too big. I don't wear it very often because it slides around on my finger & I have to wear the plain band in front of it or it will go flying off. My point is that marriage is not about the ring & in the long run it doesn't really mean that much so don't put yourself in a bad position financially.

Fullsterkur_woman

My husband and I got engaged when we were in high school. My engagement ring is not fancy and has a diamond so small you can barely tell it's there. It may not even be a diamond; I don't know or care. We just celebrated our 20th anniversary, and numerous times he has mentioned to me getting a "replacement" engagement ring that is more suitable. Finally he's stopped, because I believe I have finally convinced him that this ring is not coming off my finger. He can buy me other rings, and I can wear them proudly, but there can only ever be one engagement ring, and whenever I look at my humble ring it reminds me of all the important things in a marriage and reminds me to forget any of the bull-puckey. To ask me to toss it aside would be so hurtful.

Budgeting for your necessary and prudent expenses and investments is by far more important than figuring out how much you can spend on bling. So, maybe the normal amount he would spend on a nice gift for you, set that as your budget, and then go find the one you like most out of those.

Really, the marriage is far more important than the ring or the wedding!

futuresize8

I used to work in the jewelry business. And what I learned was that there are beautiful rings at every price. Get something beautiful and practical, and know that there will be many anniversaries to add to that if lots of bling is what is important to you.

And, you might find this hard to believe, but after all the jewery I've created, touched and owned over the years, the sterling silver Claddagh ring my husband bought for me at a festival on St. Patrick's Day the first year we were dating cost probably $25, but it means more to me than any other piece of jewelry I own!

Best of luck!

cherryd69

I love mine, dont know how much the OH spent on it though

GetSoda

I found the best value, and spent two weeks gross salary on it. It's just a ring.

Vincentsz

Three months salary IS the general rule. That's why you save for a ring. This also provides the prospective groom to really think about his decision and the selection.

BrunetteRunner87

As much as the ring you want costs - you have to wear it the rest of your life!
Of course something you like within reason.

YaGigi

I'm a material girl. De Beers all the way.

YaGigi

Three months salary IS the general rule. That's why you save for a ring. This also provides the prospective groom to really think about his decision and the selection.

Exactly.

JesseDP00

Three months salary IS the general rule. That's why you save for a ring. This also provides the prospective groom to really think about his decision and the selection.

Yeah, "general rule" from those who want you to spend your hard earned money - in today's economy, spending three months of salary on a ring is absolutely crazy.

TinaBean007

I don't really have a need or desire to have a wedding band. A nice engagement ring will do me just fine. Never saw the point of 2 rings.

My wife's engagement ring was in the style of a half eternity ring set with (small) rubies, emeralds and diamonds (really small ones!) That ring means a lot more to her than the wedding ring ever will because the engagement ring is about love, the wedding ring is simply about formalizing what was already there ;-)
And... congratulations!

Exactly

Well, I'll give you my side to this- but I warn that I'm an emotional sap. My engagement ring symbolizes something very special to me that I share with my husband only. It's the moment in time when we decided to connect our lives forever as spiritual partners. My wedding band represents my commitment to our marriage that I made in front of our friends and family. The two will be forever connected together but have distinct meanings. After 9 years, this hasn't changed, but I hold my husband and marriage as a top priority in my life.

kimosabe1

go to a pawn shop-I got a high class diamond there for $900

Synapze

When I was 16 i went to a Gumball machine and a little blue plastic ring fell out.

I jokingly proposed, and gave it to my girlfriend.

8 years later i brought an actual ring, and married her, but to this day...20 years later, she still insists on wearing the Gumball machine ring.

Fullsterkur_woman

I'm a material girl. De Beers all the way.

Gimme one o' them *blood* diamonds! :laugh:

PixieGoddess

Money is not important at all. The ring my boyfriend and I are looking at is $200 at a local antique store (it's from the 1920s) and is even better b/c it has a great story behind it:
Our friend works at this antique store, and we were visiting her at work one day when we'd only been dating a few months. I teased my boyfriend by pointing out a ring and saying, "I'd like something like that - just a simple solitaire, very classy, in silver or white gold." Our friend glances at the ring I'm pointing at, looks back up at us, and says, "That's the cheapest ring in this case. It's $350." So I told my boyfriend, "See? I'm cheap!" :laugh:
We've laughed about this for years now. Then a few months ago, we were at an event with this friend, and I decided to tease him a little more by telling her (in front of him) that we needed to come pick out a new ring, now that we were discussing marriage. She replied, "That ring is still there. It's only $200 now." My boyfriend told me to go try it on, and it fits, so at this point, I'm just waiting for it! :happy:

Blacklance36

The diamond industry says you should spend three months' salary. But go with your instincts. An engagement ring isn't even actually required. If you'd rather spend the money on something useful, either forego the ring altogether or get something less expensive. If it isn't important to you to have an expensive, fancy ring, you don't have to have one!

Listen to what she just said...its the diamond industry that says 3 months. Do you think they have a vested interest? Why listen to someone that is only in it for the money?

engagment ring
wedding ring
suffeRING

Frank_Just_Frank

Find the kind of ring you want (never mind all the rules), figure out how long it'll take to save for that and do it. I don't know why people act like it's a bad thing, I loved getting her the ring she wanted.

Fullsterkur_woman

When I was 16 i went to a Gumball machine and a little blue plastic ring fell out.

I jokingly proposed, and gave it to my girlfriend.

8 years later i brought an actual ring, and married her, but to this day...20 years later, she still insists on wearing the Gumball machine ring.

I love this story. Thank you for being man enough to share it with us. I wish you and your wife many decades more of happy, healthy, wedded bliss!

MyaPapaya75

@Cherry I think its so cool you don't know how much was spent....its the surprise factor to me makes it more special