You’ve finally found your soul mate and you’re ready to pop the big question – the only problem is that you don’t want the big price tag.
Don’t worry – you’re not alone in wanting to save money on such a big purchase. Actually, it’s the smartest thing to do, both for yourself and your wife-to-be. Remember that after the engagement comes the wedding and after that, the honeymoon. Both are major expenses. Not to mention that afterwards, you’ll be starting a new life together. Wouldn’t it be nice to start that new life without a hefty engagement-ring-debt on your hands?
There are so many options when it comes to buying an engagement ring that you really don’t have to pay more than your budget. In fact, the engagement ring can be a lot cheaper than you’d expect – just don’t ever use that particular word (cheap) and “engagement ring” in the same sentence around your wife. It’s better to say that you got the best ring in your budget 🙂
Here are some tips for buying an engagement ring on a budget:
The Basics
The first and foremost tip is do not hesitate to negotiate. Most of us aren’t used to haggling for our purchases, so it may feel a bit awkward, but there is always room for negotiation. You don’t have to be aggressive, just ask for a discount and never buy a ring for the sticker price until you’ve done your research, shopped around and know it’s a good price.
If you’re not into haggling – or just want cheaper prices in general – shop online for an engagement ring. You’ll find the best deals on the Internet. Online retailers have far less expenses and overhead than brick-and-mortar shops (rent, utilities, etc.) and can afford to offer cheaper prices for equal quality.
Another basic option to buying an engagement ring on a budget is to simply set a low budget and opt for a less expensive ring for now. You can promise her an upgrade on your 1st or 5th wedding anniversary – which makes for a nice event to look forward to for her as well as a chance to throw another mini-celebration (she’ll probably like that just as much as the new ring)!
But if you’d prefer to get a mind-blowing ring the first time around…
Go Vintage
Hey, vintage is IN and by shopping around, you’ll be able to score a beautiful vintage ring that is both more affordable and more unique than many of the typical engagement rings on the market.
This is an especially great option if your wife-to-be is into vintage items to begin with. Watch her clothing and accessory choices – does she seem to have a fondness for some past era? Does she love the uniqueness of thrift store finds? If so, vintage engagement rings will allow you to buy an awesome ring – for much less than you’d expect!
Buy Pre-Owned
Even if it’s not “vintage,” you can find some very high-quality, even branded engagement rings on pre-owned sites like Portero. Jewelery is not like clothing or cars – precious stones don’t lose their value just ’cause someone owned them before. Browse around on Portero and check out their huge collection of rings. They offer savings of around 50% per item!
Take Advantage of Not-Quite-Whole Numbers
Did you know that there’s a big price difference between small weight differences? For example, you can often save more than $1,000 by buying a 0.90 carat diamond than buying a 1.0 carat diamond and as much as $5,000 when you buy a 1.90 carat diamond rather than a 2.0 carat diamond. The Carat-Weight difference is minimal (and honestly the other C’s might matter more) but the price difference is huge.
The 0.90 carat diamond won’t look different from the 1.0 carat – the difference is about 0.2 millimeters, equivalent to a sheet of paper – and you’ll save a lot. Shop around for diamonds that are just under certain weight thresholds!