Wednesday, December 3, 2008

How Can I Find a Cheap Engagement Ring? Here's How!

By Tom W. Mason

So you are ready to propose - you have a great proposal idea in your head, you know exactly what you are going to say and you can't wait to put a ring on her finger. There's just one problem - you don't have the ring! Money's tight though, so you want to find a cheap engagement ring - is it possible?

First off, I hate to use the word "cheap" in the same sentence as "diamond ring". Why don't we instead say affordable engagement ring ? sounds a lot better in my opinion!

Budget is the first consideration when you're working with a tight budget. Figure out how much you can afford to spend on an engagement ring. Be realistic here; it is going to be a significant expense.

An engagement ring is going to set you back a few bucks. You will probably have to save up for a bit or tap into existing savings. It's a big purchase - and an extremely important one.

Generally, people budget about two month's salary for an engagement ring. This may not be possible in your case - don't worry if you're in that boat. Like all of us, you have a lot of bills to pay. Not everyone can afford to pay two month's salary for an engagement ring.

If your budget is too limited for this, don't stress too much about it. You can find great diamond engagement rings which are affordable. The key is to try to get the most diamond for your dollar.

However, I do suggest that you spend at least $1,000 on this ring. She'll wear it forever; it's a symbol of your love and there should be some sacrifice involved in buying it. $1,000 is pretty low as far as price tags on engagement jewelry goes. However, you can make even this amount go a long way if you shop wisely.

You can go to my website to read my Diamond Buying Guide. This guide will give you a lot of great information on buying the best engagement ring while staying within your budget. My guide helps you to get the most diamond for your money.

First off, go for a very simple setting. And stick with 14K white or yellow gold. There is no need to spend the extra on 18K or platinum. You want the majority of your budget to go towards the diamond.

As far as the diamond goes, you want to get the largest diamond possible. While diamonds are graded on many different criteria, you can get an idea of which factors to look for in my Diamond Buying Guide. This information can help you avoid spending too much money for too little diamond.

It really is possible to find the perfect ring for your fiance without breaking the bank; just keep in mind that you are not looking for a cheap diamond engagement ring, but an affordable diamond engagement ring! Happy hunting! - 15995

About the Author: