Comments on Free By 50: How much should you spend on an engagement ring?

Most people I asked about this says that they shou...

2011-12-06T04:13:16.674-08:00

Most people I asked about this says that they should spend about 30% of their annual salary. Some still consider going higher than 30%.

I always thought that you should spend 10% of your...

2011-11-09T21:09:12.207-08:00

I always thought that you should spend 10% of your annual salary for engagement rings.

I have to wonder about the purpose of an engagemen...

2010-11-14T08:01:09.837-08:00

I have to wonder about the purpose of an engagement ring. If we knew its purpose we would have a better idea of how much value we need to invest in it. It is my understanding that wedding and engagement rings were simply gold bands that the bride could barter for travel back to her family if she were abandoned or left widowed by her husband. Now they seem to be a measure of the wealth of the man giving the ring – hence the ratio of the rings value to the man’s income, (ten percent of annual income for example). Of course, if I keep going down this road of thought I’ll eventually start addressing the true meaning of marriage – bringing in the coercive power of the state to ensure the economic security of women and children. Then we have to address the question of what relevance marriage has to people committed to a child free lifestyle, and that naturally will bring up the issue of civil unions and gay marriage.

Maybe it’s best not to think too much about the purpose of engagement rings.

The import of this write up appears to be spend wh...

2010-08-19T16:39:30.465-07:00

The import of this write up appears to be spend what you can afford. My sentiment exactly. But then a price on a token of love ... just kidding.

What vexes me is the cost of the wedding. I am not averse to spending all that cash, but please put it towards your mortgage, or blow it on a holiday or a more money than sense car even a ring or a holiday, but on one afternoon's festivity, mmmm

Don't forget that someone who is making 31,000...

2009-11-04T10:42:16.584-08:00

Don't forget that someone who is making 31,000 thousand is really only making around 23,000 after taxes. This would bring down the value to around 4K for the 2 month rule.

My engagement ring cost less than one (2 week) pay...

2009-02-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

My engagement ring cost less than one (2 week) paycheck for my fiance. Of course, it's also a .5 carat man made sapphire on a gorgeous setting. Way better than the traditional ice on a hoop.

I don't know about the price, all I know is I spen...

2009-02-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know about the price, all I know is I spent a little too much on my wife's, but she loves it.

I would, however, offer this advice on size vs. quality.

Go with the best Cut quality in your price range. Cut is what give a diamond it's true brilliance. Always sacrifice cut for the other C's. If you have a 1+ carat ring with a poor cut, it, to be frank, will look fake.