How much does the price of a ring matter to you?

To me, if he HAS the money, then I would like a nice ring. But I certainly would prefer no ring to him going into debt over it. My fiance managed to save up $1500 for my ring, and I just love it. I mean if he made $100,000 a year and spent all his money on things for himself, yet bought me a cheap ring, I would have been upset. But I think what my fiance paid was very reasonable for his income, and I appreciate that he sacrificed things he wanted for himself to pay for something special for me.

The price means nothing. It's the meaning behind the ring that means everything to me.

I think that it depends on the income, job status and situation of the groom. If he makes $100,000 a year and spends $500 on the ring I think it would be a little disrespectful. At the same time if he makes $25,000 a year and is debt then $500 would be a very nice sacrifice and much appreciated.

I think that if the girl wants a ring, the guy should buy her one. But she should also be reasonable. The diamond sellers tell you to spend 3 mos salary on a ring. HA. that is wayyyy too much. I'd say more like two to three weeks' salary. Why spend so much on something that can be lost easily? It's nuts. I love my ring, but it only cost $1000. But it is special because we chose it from a stone cutting shop and had it made together. It is a greenish aqua sapphire, a big one, and there is nothing else that color I have ever seen. Everyone is jealous, it's so pretty compared to a lil sparkly white thing. Its uniqueness and sentimental value are much more important to me than the money.

I have no idea how much my ring cost and frankly I don't care to know. If I had to pick between having expensive ring/awful man and cheap ring/awesome man, I'd pick the great man with the tin ring every time. The ring is not a representation of the value of our love, or my own worth to him, it's a token. My ring may not be the biggest or the flashiest or the most expensive, but it's perfect to me because the man I love put it on my finger.

it means nothing - my oh proposed with a piece of string and I said yes, he later took me ring shopping but I would have been happy with the string

As a man, I'm asking - where the hell is my ten thousand dollar carrot on a stick? If I decided to give my girl a bag of popcorn or an 8 karat ring, it doesn't matter as I'm the prize. Equal rights means equal gifts. Isn't that right?

While price isn’t the most important thing, it does matter. It depends on where he is career wise, financial resources, and what the couples’ goals are. If, as a couple, you would rather buy a house, or have a dream wedding, a fancy ring may not as important. The investment in the ring is an investment in a relationship. And if a man cannot afford a respectable ring, he likely is not ready to take on the responsibilities associated with marriage, taking care of a family. I think more couples should focus on creating a successful marriage than a pretty ring.

It does depend a great deal on the financial situation, but a lot of it is the level of respect shown given that situation. In my first marriage, my husband never stopped saying "only the best for my baby", but when it came to an engagement ring, and I kid you not (as he was working for a company that cleaned sewer line at the time), he only ever managed to give me a piece of crap white topaz ring that he found WHILE WORKING. He's my ex because that level of disregard continued on well into the marriage. This, my second marriage which is hopefully my last, began with me picking out my own ring. Only I picked out pretty much the cheapest ring in the 'substantial engagement ring' case. Sure, I would've liked to have had the huge diamond, but this one is still nice and suits me well. And I didn't disrespect him by demanding something outrageous. EDIT: I meant to say, too, that women will automatically post a "how horrible" response to someone who felt slighted by their fiance's ring choice, but if put in the same position they would likely be the first to feel out of sorts over it. People like to dress up in a good conscience for appearances sake, but when it happens to them they're not always as understanding. So don't read too much into those reponses you saw.