My mate has recently got engaged to his missus of 4 years, and we were taking the mick out of him the other night trying to find out how much he spent on the ring for her.

He said it's a months wages isn't it?? But I thought it was now supposed to be closer to 3 months is it not?

3 months wages? Do people that say these things live in the real world?

If the cost of the ring is the major issue then there are more problems in the relationship that that.

I believe the 'tradition' is a month's salary.

Or perhaps he could just get a ring she'll like and not concern himself with stupid expectations.

I detest all this 'month's wage' bollcks, and the idea that the more it costs the more it means. A mate of mine worked himself to the bone off for a year to spend £3,500 on an engagement ring and quite rightly we ripped him to shreds. Idiot.

I think we spent around £600, beautiful ring, and most importantly she loves it.

People are too easily sucked into this trap when it comes to weddings. There are easy ways to avoid the 'wedding tax' that gets added to wedding items, and to do things without spending a ridiculous amount of money.

When you say "missus" ... are they already married?

A good quality engagement and wedding ring are important imo - remember the idea is for your loved one to wear them for the rest of their life and you don't want something that is going to look green in 15 years time!

Personally i would avoid a ring that is fashionable and go for something classic and simple and remember that if its white gold you will need to have it re-coated in a few years time although i think white gold is great.

Remember the 4cs - diamond colour, clarity, cut and carat weight.

You can get good quality without spending a month's salary. Or anything like it.

Also remember that diamonds are a complete and utter fraud, via a worldwide marketing deception that has been beautifully crafted and perpetuated.

Try selling a diamond and see what it's [ireally[/i worth.

You can do far better going for a second hand (literally) ring. If the objection is that that's cheapskate, then I'd ask what message am I supposed to get by an insistence that I must get ripped off in buying inferior overpriced goods instead of getting something probably much nicer at half the price.

Depends where you work

RBS?

What's minimum wage these days? About a grand a month? I spent around half that on my wife's engagement ring and it hasn't gone green yet!

My fiancées is. It's an Emerald.