wedding/ engagement rings...

AllTehBeers

We pay every single bill EARLY, EVERY MONTH. No bill is ever late. We never worry how we are going to pay for something. We have plenty of money in the bank so that if either of us lose our job, we will still have the funds to pay our bills for at least six months, if not more. We have money saved for a down payment on a new house in Sept when our lease is up. We both own nice vehicles and rent a very nice apartment. We have money to go out and enjoy dates and not have to worry about who is paying or where we are going.

The point is, not every YOUNG person is bad with their finances. We have money saved that WE WORKED FOR, not because anyone gave it to us. We pay our bills on time, get absolutely no assistance from anyone- and if he wants to buy me a nice ring- why can't he? why does it make us irresponsible or bad with money?

Dang, you sound like MY daughter, except that she and her husband already own a home! Congratulations! I actually think there are quite a lot of young people out there who have learned to tame their finances, and quite a lot of older people who still haven't learned that.

Love this. I doubt it was the 18-25 age group that couldn't afford their half million dollar homes when the economy went down.

<= simple tungsten ring. Heavy duty because I'm always busting up my hands at work and if I lose it, its replacable.

_namaste_

I don't need to get into my own personal details on an online forum to prove anything to anyone. 'Nuff said.

AllTehBeers

My ring is the most beautiful thing I've ever owned. I still smile every time I look at it. Who's to say what is and what isn't a reasonable way for someone else to spend their money?

This. I feel the EXACT same way about my simple band because of the person who gave it to me and the way I feel about them. I'm also not a flashy person and diamonds aren't my thing, but I don't hate on people who can afford and enjoy them.

fjrandol

My engagement ring is a gold band with a small solitaire, and I love it, but it usually only comes out on the weekends since I can't wear it at work. My wedding ring is a very thin gold band with no embellishments, and I've actually received quite a few complements on its delicate look. :-) I have no idea as to the cost of anything, but I am madly in love with my hubby and wouldn't trade that for all the glitz in the world.

I love looking at all the bling, but if it was on my finger I'd probably walk around the same paranoid, stiff-legged way my dog does when I put a sweater on him. It's just not how I roll. lol

DamnImASexyBitch

My ring is the most beautiful thing I've ever owned. I still smile every time I look at it. Who's to say what is and what isn't a reasonable way for someone else to spend their money?

^ I agree and feel the same!

HypersonicFitNess

Everyone is different; so what is right for one is not necessarily right for another.

While my sister would love to have a larger diamond, she would be very upset if her husband actually spent the money on one, because she feels the money could be better used elsewhere.

My husband buys me diamonds all the time and I have a beautiful wedding set, however I had to wait until we were married 23 years to get it. Our first one was one I picked out and it was unique but cheap because we were poor. It was also a lemon and stones kept falling out and the settings broke off. I still have it; it was repaired 7x.

I also have a 10 year anniversary ring that is quite beautiful; it's no one's business how it was paid for.

The year we were going to celebrate our 20th we planned a trip to Grand Cayman after a very grueling year end financial close for me at work - I needed some R&R. It so happened around the time my husband found out he had never "proposed"; no...it was during hurricane Hugo and he had called me and told me as soon as he was back (we were both Coast Guard), I better have leave because we were getting married. He thought he'd messed up....I really was not concerned. We did get married at the JoP, best $10 spent ever.

Anyway, when we went to GC, he was acting very weird and the first night there at a restaurant ....he got on his knee and presented me with a 3/4 carat colorless, flawless princess cut solitaire and asked me to marry him. Of course, I just bawled my eyes out...and all the ladies in the restaurant were crying and the men just wanted to know if I said yes.

Anyway, at 23 years...he got me a diamond band and a wrap to go around it. They're beautiful. I still wear the anniversary band on my right hand and I still have the original wedding ring in my Jewry box....it is very important to me and where we started.

The new ring:



The anniversary ring:



The original wedding ring:

VictoriaWorksOut

To each their own, I say. I just got engaged on the 16th, and my wonderful fiance presented me with a gorgeous ring that was well within the budget. It's not a typical ring, sort of antique looking and the main stone is .25 carat. I am going to wear this through my engagement, and I am going to have an heirloom ring (my Mom's) as my ring when we are married (and that's a very nice piece of jewelry, my Dad did good. lol). The sentimental value outweighs monetary value. My husband to be will put that on my hand the way my Dad did for my Mom. Amazing. I cannot wait!

I would love to see your antique looking ring!!!

VictoriaWorksOut

Diamond, especially engagement ring, prices are so overpriced, it is sickening. If you would want to sell your ring for what it was purchased at the store you could never do that even if your life depended on it.


I have an platinum engagement ring from years ago engagement that was purchased at very prestige jewelery store and independently GIA certified to be over $6000 in value. I could not get offered for it more then $1500 when I wanted to sell it. I will let my son have it to make a ring for his future wife.

ShmoozyQ

Like a few of the others, my ring is a family heirloom and I completely love it. It's my grandmother's wedding set. My father had been saving it for the right guy. When my husband asked my father's permission for my hand, he gave him the ring with his blessing. No ring could ever be worth more than that for me.

jigglebox

Well jeepers -- I kind wish I hadn't posted this. I was just making an observation, based on what I have seen. Just blowing off a little steam.
I didn't mean to offend anyone, and didn't mean to make sweeping generalizations. I don't think I said anything about it being all brides, or all young brides...
In fact, I know several who have really beautiful rings, and I've never heard a peep out of them about it.
But honestly, I was just venting about what I have heard and seen recently.
I thought that was ok, to do here, but I must have been mistaken.
I will not make that mistake again.

small_ninja

Way to make sweeping generalizations.

I find patting yourself on the back for having the "sensibility" to get a smaller, more modest ring and holding yourself higher than those you choose to judge just as distasteful as those who insist they have the biggest/most expensive/flashiest ring they can find and brag about it.

^This.

shame, shame, shame.

Yes.

jigglebox

I don't really care much about what other people do, but I can see the OP's point to a degree. I got married four years ago (second marriage) and I was somewhat appalled by some of the things I saw and heard on the wedding board where I posted. It did indeed seem that several of those girls were interested in the wedding, not the marriage. One girl complained constantly about how her fiance worked too much and how it cut into their time together - but never once did she consider scaling back their $50k wedding that they were paying for.

And frankly, I do recall seeing some of the rings that these girls had and wondering how they could afford them - some of these couples were barely out of college and struggling to make ends meet, but were sporting $5k and better rings.These were the same girls complaining that their electricity got cut off, or how they had to borrow money from their parents to buy groceries, most of the time.

It's really no one's business about other people's financial outlook, but it does raise eyebrows when someone is spending thousands on weddings and/or rings while complaining they can't afford the day to day bills. Having been through some pretty tough financial times myself (sometimes of my own doing, more recently due to other "influences") I can empathize with folks who have money issues, but it is difficult to empathize when someone is wearing a $5k diamond ring, driving a brand new $40k car, and getting weekly mani/pedis, all while claiming they can't afford to pay their water bill (and yes, I know someone who does that).

It's not a generalization, because I don't think it applies to "everyone" in a certain age group, or everyone in any group - but I do believe that for some people, the appearance of having money, and how that affects their wedding plans, is much more important than the marriage. And that is something that transcends age - a lot of people get caught up in "keeping up with the Jones's."

This poster is saying it much better than I did. This is what I witness all the time.

3dogsrunning

This poster is saying it much better than I did. This is what I witness all the time. Sorry, but it does happen to be younger people. Not all younger people are like this, but they are generally the ones who are getting engaged and getting married.
I am surprised at those ladies with expensive rings who got so offended and defensive. Good for you , if you love your ring and it was worth every penny that was spent on it.

You are assuming that those who opposed your opinion, like myself, had expensive rings.

I get what your point is meant to be, but you did, to me, seem to be painting everyone with the same brush. Are there women who demand large flashy rings/weddings that they can't afford, care more about the ring than the wedding, absolutely. Young and old. But the fact that someone has a large flashy ring, even while young, doesnt mean that is the case.
That was my point.

VictoriaWorksOut

oups, deleted a wrong picture. Does not allow me to edit it. :ohwell: