3 months salary for engagement ring???

I think it's ridiculous for anyone to think that there is a certain amount that "should" be spent on a ring. If he has the money, great. But I disagree that it speaks for how much he loves you. My FH spent less than 1 month's salary on my ring and it's perfect for me. I would not have been comfortable with anything more expensive. I don't need a ridiculously expensive ring to prove to me how much FH loves me.

I'd like to point out that before your FH goes shopping, he should do some research into what makes a diamond worth its price point. Bigger does not necessarily mean better and spending more doesn't necessarily mean that either. Tell him to focus on the Four C's :cut, color, clarity, and carat. It's also important that you don't go into debt for a ring. Perhaps you should both come up with a budget for what is ok to spend. The ring is a symbol of your commitment, not the value of the commitment itself.

My FH spent 70$ on my ring, at most. And I don't care. I absolutely love it! It doesn't look tacky, or fake, and most people ask if he spent a thousand on it, so apparently he didn't do to bad a job.

I wear a lot of jewelry (which is a habit that I got from my mom). I told my FH that I didn't need a diamond ring. My first engagement ring from him was one of his favorite rings that he got in Greece while he was on deployment. It was not the traditional diamond ring and granted it is a mans ring but, it means a lot to me because he gave me his favorite ring. However, His father told him the reason why their family must give a woman a diamond engagement ring and from then my FH was been hell bent on giving me a ring. When we first started talking about rings, I took him to Zales and I taught him about the four C's. He took it upon himself to do the three month salary idea. I will always stick by the saying "To each his own". We did go by the "rule" but, I could have cared less because in my case, I barely get to wear my ring. I wear the ring from Greece more than the diamond ring.

OOPS! I am in trouble!

Kris, I agree with your comment that any jack*** can purchase a ring and it does not mean that he is a considerate person. I think I miss represented my thought process. I don't believe that a three month salary is the amount of time necessarily nor that it means that they have to have a large three month salary. I am trying to say that saving up for the ring and not just going and plunking the credit card down, having an intention that you are so important that the man really has to figure out how to wow you. A friend of mine just married her guy and when her significant other was in the process of figuring out her engagement ring, he went to great efforts to get the perfect ring for her that she would be ecstatic and it was the ring she thought that she would never ever get. It, by the way was by the way not expensive but it was her to the 10th degree.

I am the person that is not a retail queen by any means, My wedding dress budget

is $200.00 and I spent 77.00

Where did you find a wedding dress for $77? I can't see spending over $200 on a dress that I am only going to wear once.

Ebay is where I found my completely beaded wedding dress. I know, I had a hard time looking for my dress. I lost a few bids and just kept looking and trying to get a dress that was close to the image I had in my mind. I could not budget more than 200.00 and was thrilled to end up under budget!

I think the "Tradition" thing on this is incredibly silly. Do what makes both of you happy. To each his/her own!

Wow, if FH followed this tradition, Who knows what I would of ended up with. It could of ranged from a gumball ring to a pretty big ring . FH is self employed, so if there is no work then there is no pay. I love my ring and I know how much he spent on it. Before he picked out the ring, I told him it could be a ring from a cracker jack box and I would be happy with it as long as long as it was from him and it ment that we were finally getting married. ( we have been together 12 years)

That's supposedly from one of the original diamond e ring ads back in the 40s. It's silly to say "You have to spend this much" you should spend what you can on something that makes you both happy. I was ready to kill my husband when I found out that he spent almost $5000 on my ring.

Archaic statement! I would pick something out of the wide selection of affordable engagement rings that you can find all over the internet. I'm not a big fan of mined diamonds due to the whole 'conflict' issue. Strictly based on budget, I would recommend a lab diamond. Try http://www.quorri.com/