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What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?
Just Engaged and Proposals
What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?
Are you newly engaged? Chat with new brides and post your proposal story here.
This may sound awful but I was curious isn't there some sort of rule of thumb by a man's salary of around how much is appropriate to spend? Let me know. I love my man no matter what was just curious :
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Just Engaged and Proposals
What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?
Are you newly engaged? Chat with new brides and post your proposal story here.
This may sound awful but I was curious isn't there some sort of rule of thumb by a man's salary of around how much is appropriate to spend? Let me know. I love my man no matter what was just curious :
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Forums  >  Wedding Boards  >  Just Engaged and Proposals  >  What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?
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What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 2:09 PM EST on theknot.com
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 This may sound awful but I was curious isn't there some sort of rule of thumb by a man's salary of around how much is appropriate to spend?

Let me know.

I love my man no matter what was just curious :)
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 2:11 PM EST on theknot.com
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 There's a very old school suggestion that two months salary should be spent. Personally think that's a load of bull. Spend that is affordable - which in a lot of cases is not two months salary.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 2:18 PM EST on theknot.com
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 In Response to What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?:
This may sound awful but I was curious isn't there some sort of rule of thumb by a man's salary of around how much is appropriate to spend? Let me know. I love my man no matter what was just curious :)
Posted by sarahbomser


I think it should be whatever he is comfortable spending, and I also believe in paying cash for it, but that's just my opinion.  I think it's silly to go into debt/start your marriage out with debt for a piece of jewelry.

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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 2:20 PM EST on theknot.com
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 No magic number. It's whatever he decides to spend.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 3:02 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Whatever fits your budget.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 3:03 PM EST on theknot.com
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 In Response to Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?:
In Response to What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring? : I think it should be whatever he is comfortable spending, and I also believe in paying cash for it, but that's just my opinion.  I think it's silly to go into debt/start your marriage out with debt for a piece of jewelry.
Posted by edielaura


Exactly.  That's our main rule, for our wedding rings and it was the rule for my e-ring.  My sister and her husband are STILL paying for her e-ring, and they've been married for almost 3 years (and they were engaged for about a year before they got married).  While she loves her ring, she said if they did it over, they wouldn't have taken out a Texas sized loan for a piece of jewelry.  The idea that a man is supposed to spend xx dollars on your ring is old school.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 3:17 PM EST on theknot.com
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 That's what I figured but I am still so new to this!

Thanks
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 3:54 PM EST on theknot.com
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 The antiquated rule of thumb -- that the man should spend two months' salary on the ring -- was (I believe) put out there by the diamond industry.  I don't know anyone personally who still adheres to that 'rule'.

As PPs have said, it's silly to spend more than one can afford on a ring.  Entering into married life under a mountain of wedding-related debt can ruin an otherwise good marriage.

When my husband and I were shopping for an engagement ring, I told him that he should get the smallest diamond that fits properly into the setting.  I really loved the micropave halo setting but wanted the diamond to fit in the setting without a gap between the stone and the halo.  Given that configuration, a larger diamond would only sit up higher out of the halo but wouldn't look any bigger than the setting would allow.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 7:45 PM EST on theknot.com
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 What you can afford.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 7:56 PM EST on theknot.com
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 You should really spend at least $15-20K.  Anything less implies to others that he isn't really serious.

No, in all seriousness, spend what you can afford. 
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/27/2012 9:59 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Spend what fits within your budget and pay cash.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/28/2012 11:07 AM EST on theknot.com
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 That "rule of thumb" is funny to me ... Fi saved for 2 yrs for my ring ... He had an idea what he wanted an how big the diamond he wanted so he planned accordingly. I love my ring I do not know how much he spent all I know is the appraisal value and I didn't want to know.

The way I see it Fi picked my ring its absolutely perfect it's not the size of the diamond or if the band had diamonds it's the thought that when he proposed this was the ring he sees me wearing
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/28/2012 3:01 PM EST on theknot.com
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 One meeeeeeelion dollars.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/28/2012 3:14 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Please do not  go into debt over a ring. Especially if he is just starting out in his career. You can always look for sales especially around the holidays. Also, most jewelry stores offer a lay-away plans. Usually 10 month same as cash.

FYI- my FI and I were pasing by a jewelry store during the Christmas holidays and found a 1 carat diamond ring for $600.00. The value of the ring is $2500.00.  Shop wisely.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/28/2012 10:16 PM EST on theknot.com
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 I've always heard 3 months salary. My FI did and I love my ring but I'd love it no matter what since I'll get to marry him

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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/28/2012 11:28 PM EST on theknot.com
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 I have always heard 3 months salary or 5% percent of the annual salary. Like everyone else I dont care how much my FH spent I totally love my ring and everytime I look at it I think of how much he loves me. I do know that he had been saving and he paid for it in full. 
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/29/2012 12:14 AM EST on theknot.com
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 One million dollahs.

The 3 months salary thing is an old-school thing carried over, likely initiated by the diamond/jewellery industry to make men spend lots of money on their product.

Like PPs said, he/she/you guys together should spend what suits your budget.  It's not worth going into debt for.  You can always upgrade later or add an anniversary band if you are on a tight budget now.

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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/29/2012 8:11 PM EST on theknot.com
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 While three months salary is a pretty good rule of thumb, no one is going to know what you spent on a ring in the end, and you have to live with the payments. Save up what you can and pay cash, it's the only way to go in this economy. It would be better to spend a single months salary on your ring, and put the other two months toward a downpayment on a house.

Remember too, your wedding will last one day - or at most a weekend, if you go all out - but your ring will last you at least as long as your marriage. Don't spend less on your ring to get more for you wedding day.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/30/2012 5:34 PM EST on theknot.com
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 The '3 months salary' thing was started by the diamond companies to pressure guys into spending more than they could afford, and to make girls expect it.  It's stupid, but was obviously a brilliant marketing technique on their part since so many people, even today, buy into it.

Your e-ring should cost only as much as he can afford, and sometimes, not even that much.  H had a budget in mind for my ring, but when we went shopping, the ring that I fell in love with was much lower than his planned budget, so he spent less than he could afford.
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/30/2012 11:38 PM EST on theknot.com
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 In Response to Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?:
I have always heard 3 months salary or 5% percent of the annual salary. Like everyone else I dont care how much my FH spent I totally love my ring and everytime I look at it I think of how much he loves me. I do know that he had been saving and he paid for it in full. 
Posted by jenner105


I would just like to point out that 3 months salary OR 5% of the annual salary is quite a disparity.  3 months salary would be 25% of one's annual salary.  Which is a lot of money to spend on a ring, and probably unnecessary.  (Not that I would turn down a ring that costs that much. :P I'd just never expect someone to spend that much on a piece of jewelry.)
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/30/2012 11:46 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Spend what can be afforded. Don't break the bank over a piece of jewelry
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Re: What's the price expected to spend on an engagement ring?

posted at 1/31/2012 8:13 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Oh, lovely, TK is eating posts again...

I believe I wrote something reiterating what PPs said about only buying a ring that you/he/both of you can afford. (In fact, many people get less than they can afford because what they want is less than that.) If, for some reason, what you guys want is more than that, you can always change it later, when you have more money.

The various "rules" about how much a guy should pay for an ering - two months, three months, whatever - are very likely based in rumors spread by the diamond business, as is any "rule" about how big a diamond should be or anything else involving rings.

There might be people who judge your FI based on the size of your ring, assuming that it somehow conforms to some rule of being worth a certain percentage of his salary. Screw them. That's seriously rude.

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