Buying an Affordable Engagement Ring

It is certain that you feel the woman of your dreams is worth the very best, but often the guidelines of spending two month's salary are unrealistic for men in today's world. With rising rent, mortgage rates, insurance rates, car payments, and utilities, not every man can afford to shell out a full two months of his pay. This leaves men in a tricky situation. While they want to buy the largest and grandest engagement ring possible, often the expense outweighs the ultimate goal. Rather than letting guilt of buying a less expensive ring get to you, learn how to buy a ring that you can afford that will dazzle your girlfriend.

Traditionally, diamonds are considered the classic American gemstone for engagement rings. It's rather unusual considering that colored gemstones are more prevalent in many European countries. Think back to the late Princess Diana's engagement ring to Prince Charles. Her engagement ring was a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds. This is more typical of engagement rings overseas. Not all rings in your price range will obviously contain gemstones that large, but the general idea is to pick a gemstone that would appeal to your girlfriend. Diamonds are nice, but many women prefer a little color.