How much to pay for an engagement ring? / myLot

April 1, 2010 1:01pm CST

I can't remember how much we paid, but I remember that the shop assistant said that a man should spend 3 times his salary on the engagement ring! She wanted my husband to buy a ring I liked less than the one we chose because it was below the budget he had set. I refused, I rather wanted the one I liked than a more expensive one. Did you spend that much???

2 people like this

6 responses

jesssp

@jesssp (2712)

• Canada

1 Apr 10

I think three months salary is definitely an out of date guideline. It just seems a little insane in today's dollars. My ring certainly isn't cheap - it has a full carat in it - but my husband spent less than one month salary on it, and I even think that amount was a little on the extravagant side. I can't imagine walking around with something on my finger that cost well over $10,000 - I'd be so paranoid!

taraelocin

@taraelocin (1138)

•

2 Apr 10

True, it's a scary thought to have that much money on your hand day-in-day-out!

Porcospino

@Porcospino (31366)

• Denmark

1 Apr 10

I have also heard that a man is supposed to spend 3 times his salary on the engagement ring, I think it is an old tradition or an old superstition, but my husband and I didn't follow that rule either. We designed our own rings and I helped my husband pay for them. We didn't spend as much as we were "supposed to", we just focused on designing our rings the way that we liked them. We were able to design our rings online and then we printed the page and took it to the shop.

taraelocin

@taraelocin (1138)

•

2 Apr 10

That's a nice idea to design your own rings. I guess in the past the fiance had to prove that they could afford to marry the woman, but it just seems crazy.

firecracker

@sacmom (14192)

• United States

26 May 10

I think it is absolutely ridiculous to pay that much for an engagement ring. My husband spent enough as it was for mine and it wasn't anywhere near as much as that! And here it's just as pretty as the ones that are pricey, if not more so. I don't know, I think sometimes jewelers take advantage of a couple's engagement and just say that to make a better sale for themselves. After all, if it's commissioned based the more a customer spends the more that jeweler makes. It's kind of sad really, but that's just the way it goes. So, the best thing they (the customer) can do, is stick firm to the ring that they want, even if it doesn't cost as much as they other ones. That way the customer gets what they want and without it costing too much.

Happy mylotting!