I might just add that almost anyone can SAVE and if you can't you shouldn't get married. If you can't save at least $1000 for something your sweetheart will wear for the rest of her life (in our country the engagement ring is the main event not the wedding ring, and we wear both) then you shouldn't be getting married. How can you afford a house, kids? Also I plan on spending just as much on my man, and even when we give each other anniversary presents, I spend nearly as much money on him even though I earn far less. Overall he does pay more but I don't have as good an income as he (thank you, glass ceiling - which still exists!). If you love her you will sacrifice. And anyone calling this lady names is rude. And I think a lot of you are hypocrites. (And don't forget to add inflation when you think about what your parents spent!) If you don't think it should last forever then don't get married. If you don't want everyone who ever sees your supposed sweetheart's ring to feel sorry for her because you're a stingy-arsed SOB, then buy her a decent ring. Simple. Some girls DO like cheaper, hippie stuff. Some don't. If you want a quality girl cough up - you don't put cheap diesel in a Jaguar! I might just add, in her defense: She's not complaining about the price of the ring but that her boyfriend is a cheapskate. It's obviously a pattern with him. She's silly for staying with someone who clearly doesn't love her enough to sacrifice for her - or put ANY effort into the most important commitment he should ever make (if he's taking it seriously, which he clearly isn't). Sooo many reasons to be unhappy here. She should definitely take it as an insult and get out. True, you CAN find an amazing piece of jewellery on auction (I told my bf that I want him to buy a second hand diamond and re-set it to save money). But it's rare and not everyone thinks of that. It's the MAN'S responsibility, if he wants to propose, to keep an eye out for that (but good if the girls does too if she knows he wants to marry her). And don't say that's sexist because the woman is in the same position when buying his ring.

So you've just said that to get a "good quality" girl you have to spend a lot of money? Yep, I see the logic there, and this is after you've told people not to call the OP names for wanting more money spent on a ring. Maybe it was just bad phrasing, but you might want to rethink it. Also, if her boyfriend is a cheep-skate, then surely it should have come up way before this point and she should have taken it up with him before. Also, you're making an assumption as well by assuming that he's just being cheep.

Misty, has the OP sacrificed for her boyfriend, hm? I doubt it.