How much did he/should he spend on your engagement ring?

[BlingRing1]

Just curious what everyone's thoughts are nowadays? I've heard of the '3 month's salary rule' (although i also heard it was 2 months and 1 month, so who knows!), but that's from a long time ago. Is it still relevant now? If not then what is better?

How much did he spend (either in £ or relative to salary)? Was it more or less than you thought/hoped he would?

Does it matter to you (honestly!)? Should it matter?

Three months salary? Are you serious?? Where have you heard that? Do you know anyone that has three months salary saved for no other reason than just to spend on an item of jewellery?

Six weeks is what I've always heard- that being a bit over a months salary - and I think that is about right. Obviously you could bump that up a bit with savings if it feels right.

But I'd tell any guy who was thinking of blowing 3 months salary on a ring that he better be sure his earning potential was going to double or tripple in a few years, or he would need to give his head a wobble!

God knows what it cost. I never asked. It was the ring he gave his previous fiancee. Reduce, reuse, recycle eh? 🤣
Our wedding rings were £20 each from - I can't even remember now - Argos or some cheapo jewellery shop or something.

I'm tight as a duck's arse and not romantic at all and I consider spending £££ on a piece of jewellery to be money totally wasted. Luckily, I married someone who shares that view.

(Not judging others, it's just my opinion yadda yadda yadda)

@DianaT1969

I too thought the OP question sounded more like a journalist. I guess we'll know if we see it in the Fail in a week.

Well, yes, but I think it was designed to elicit girlish squeeing about our lovely rings and the men who proudly placed such value upon our hands in terms of salary months, rather than feminist put-downs about vacuous materialism.

I couldn't give a shiny shite how much he's spent.

FWIW, my first one (I've been married twice) was £700 and I picked it myself. My second one was £1800, picked by DH.

The milk of human kindness flowing thick and fast as ever. A proper pile on for OP. I like the story of engagement rings, I’m not a particularly trad person but it’s cool to those that think such is important. My engagement/wedding ring is bespoke. Cost 30k. The cookie cutter diamonds did nothing for me. If you had to go to lost property to reclaim I reckon a lot of people would have no idea which was theirs out of a bucket of them. Cost is all relative. Mine less than 3 months salary, but it’s the one for me.

I don’t think he should spend anything, getting engaged was about making a commitment to marry, not an excuse for him to spend more than he could afford on a piece of jewellery. But then I loved him more than his money 🤷‍♀️

@spaceghetto

Mine cost £500 which was a lot of money as we got engaged relatively young (23). A lady I worked with got engaged at the same time and had a huge diamond. A colleague taught me a cute ditty, "it's the size of the cock, not the rock" 🤣 I like looking at it (the ring!) as it reminds me of where we started and what we now have.

That’s hilarious 😆

Mine was about a grand which is obviously a lot less than even one month's salary. I suggested to DH that this was enough to spend as there were plenty of really nice ones around the 1k mark and I honestly didn't see the need to spend extra £££££. I helped choose my ring and absolutely love it! We have a similar attitude to money - happy to spend and treat each other but we don't spend just for the sake of it. Couldn't be happier with the ring or the man!

Is it not in the family already? Using your great grandmother’s is the nicest way.

The cost isn’t relevant really. The idea of going into debt for a stone is ridiculous. What matters is the intent. Many people can’t save six months salary very easily, given rent prices and house deposits. Buying a house is more important than having a sparkly finger.

I'd have been mortified if my dh spent 3 months salary on my ring. He looked for rings for a while but struggled to find one he thought I'd like (I'll admit I'm fussy with jewellery and have tiny fingers) so we went together. I didnt go with a number in my head, I found the most perfect eternity ring, I planned to only ever wear one ring and it cost more then I thought I'd be willing to pay but dh had seen mu face light up when it was on and he loved it to. I adore it

The first one was around £1800 (vintage emerald and diamond) but the setting needed a small repair a couple of years ago and my wonderful DH bought me a pink sapphire and diamond one (£5k) which I wear alternately or on the other hand.

When we got engaged we were in the process of buying a house.
My ever romantic dh explained to me on our ring shopping day that he wanted to buy me whatever ring I chose but that the more money spent on ring would be less money spent on house!!!
I went for quite a modest one in the end which I was happy with.

Think mine was about £400 24 years ago. It was from a second hand shop. What you spend does not equate to how much you love someone, so why does it matter. Just chose a ring you like.

No idea what mine cost, but I adore it! Because he picked it and asked me to marry him and I love him!
I also received a fairly heirloom as my eternity ring, I think it’s a sapphire and diamonds. I’ve never checked, it again looks lovely and was meaningful.
I’m just not bothered by money in that way, it doesn’t matter does it?

£55 in 1978. Still married.

Buying a house is more important than having a sparkly finger.

I know this should be true, but I do love be a sparkly finger

If the cost of the ring means that much to you then you probably shouldn't be engaged.

Omg I’ve just caught this thread are you telling me that there is no one here that would admit to the fantasy of a huge diamond engagement ring with all the bells and whistles ?

I’m disappointed .....surely someone out there somewhere is still up for a bit of the old glitz and tradition ....

Poor OP talk about a righteous correction for you !! Don’t dare to dream about such things it’s clearly awful of you to consider cost ...

We didn’t even buy wedding rings, never mind an engagement one! Neither of us bought into all that sexist crap, and we only married, reluctantly, to get a tax rebate, back in the days when you got a whole year’s rebate if you married just before the end of the tax year on April 5th.
It sounds unromantic, but we adored each other, right up to DH’s untimely death at 36.

I don’t think cost is relevant at all, just pick the ring you like, for the budget you have available.

When we got engaged we were both 18, in the late 80’s my engagement ring was under £200, DH brought me a much more expensive ring many years later. But I treasure both equally.

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

Buying a house is more important than having a sparkly finger.

I know this should be true, but I do love be a sparkly finger

Yey!!!!!!

I declined an engagement ring because they are symbolic of women's oppression and look naff. So 0% of 0 months' salary.

@AntheasAcquaintance

We were together for 20 and married for 14.

You know Omega watches tend to keep their value and if kept well you can usually get more than you paid for them on re-sale.

Nah,things like that donr bother me. I saw a an Opel ring in corfu town for £35 euros and said I'd love that for my engagement ring. Then he proposed up a mountain.
Marriage lasted 3yrs!?

No idea how much DP spent, wouldn't want to know either to be honest, doesn't bother me