You may have heard that you should spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring. But that rule of thumb (formulated and advertised by the diamond industry) is now considered pretty outdated.
Instead, it can be a good idea to consider not only your income, but also your savings, current debt, living expenses, partner’s preferences, other costs involved in planning the wedding, and (bottom line) what you feel comfortable spending.
How you plan to pay for the ring can also impact how much you can afford to pay for it. Options include saving up and paying cash, using a credit card, financing the ring through the jeweler, or using a personal loan. And, each payment avenue has its pros and cons.
What follows are some guidelines that can help you figure out how much you should spend on an engagement ring, along with options for covering the cost.
The Average Cost of an Engagement Ring
According to The Knot’s 2022 Jewelry and Engagement Study, the average cost of an engagement ring is around $6,000.
While that number may represent the average, the amount couples actually spend on a ring varies widely. In The Knot’s study, roughly one-third of respondents spent between $1,000 to $4,000 on their engagement ring, and 8% shelled out less than $1,000.
Why do rings vary so much in price? The cost of an engagement ring depends on a number of factors, including the size and quality of the stone, where the gem was sourced, how the gem is set, and the type of metal chosen (such as yellow gold, white gold, or platinum). There may also be markups that come along with a popular brand name.
Diamond engagement rings, sourced from a mine, tend to be the most expensive choice. But there are many other, less costly options, such as lab-grown diamonds, moissanite (a lab-grown gem that looks like a diamond), and semi-precious gemstones (such as tourmaline, morganite, and aquamarine).
Whether you’re in the market for a large, eye-catching dazzler or a more dainty design, the good news is that these days there are ways to accomplish almost any look for a range of price points.
Recommended: How to Plan a Wedding
How to Pay for an Engagement Ring
While paying in cash can be the simplest (and often the cheapest) option, it may not be feasible for all couples. Below are some other payment options that you may want to consider, along with their pros, cons, and potential costs.
Financing an Engagement Ring Through Your Jeweler
Many jewelers offer financing options, but just because you’re buying from a jeweler does not mean you have to use the financing they offer. It can be a good idea to take note of the following:
• Promotional offers Some jewelers offer a 0% introductory interest rate during a set period of time. But after that period of time, interest rates may be very high.
• Down payment requirements Some jewelers may require a certain percentage down payment prior to financing.
Financing through a jeweler directly may make sense if you’re confident you can pay back the loan prior to the end of the promotional period. As with any loan, it’s likely that there will be a credit check prior to being approved for financing.
Buying an Engagement Ring With a Credit Card
Putting a large purchase like an engagement ring on your credit card can be a simple solution at the moment, but may become a financial headache in the future. Here are some things you may want to consider before getting out the plastic.
• Interest rate If you put the engagement ring on a card with a relatively high interest rate and don’t pay it off right away, the ring will end up becoming significantly more expensive over time. Also, keep in mind that many credit cards have a variable interest rate, which means the interest rate at the time of purchase could go up.
• Credit-utilization ratio A large purchase like an engagement ring can mean using a significant percentage of credit available on your card. Having a high credit-utilization ratio may negatively affect your credit score.
• Rewards and protections Some buyers like putting large purchases on credit cards because of the consumer protections offered by the card. They also may want to take advantage of the rewards offered by the credit card company. Those rewards, however, may only be worth it if you can pay the amount back in full at the end of the billing cycle or during a 0% interest promo rate.
Using a Personal Loan to Finance an Engagement Ring
A personal loan is another avenue for engagement ring funding. A personal loan from a bank, credit union, or online lender may have a lower interest rate than a jeweler financing program. Personal loans also typically have significantly lower interest rates than credit cards.
A personal loan also works differently than jeweler financing and credit cards. With a personal loan, you’ll get the money in your bank account and can then pay the jeweler as though you were paying in cash. You then pay back the loan (plus interest) in monthly amounts set out in the loan agreement.
Here are some things you may want to consider before using a personal loan to pay for an engagement ring.
• Interest rate In many cases, a personal loan interest rate is fixed, meaning it doesn’t change after the agreement has been signed. This means that you know exactly how much you will need to pay back for the length of the loan.
• Loan terms You may have an option to pick the length of the loan. Shorter loans may mean you’re paying less interest over time but have larger monthly payments.
• Loan costs There may be fees associated with the loan, including an origination fee when the loan begins and a prepayment penalty if you pay off the loan before the end of the agreed-upon term.
• “What if” scenarios Some lenders provide temporary deferment for people facing financial hardship, such as a job loss.
Recommended: Engagement Ring Financing Options
The Takeaway
Spending three months’ salary for an engagement ring is a long-standing tradition, but these days there is no one-size-fits-all formula for how much you should spend on an engagement ring. Ultimately, it’s a personal decision and will depend on your current and predicted income, current debt, expenses, savings, and preference.
If paying for an engagement ring upfront in cash isn’t feasible, you may want to look into different financing options and compare their pros, cons, and costs.
Your jeweler may offer financing, for example. Or, you may be able to take advantage of a credit card that has a 0% or low introductory interest rate and pay the balance off before the rate goes up.
Another option is to take out a personal loan. You may be able to find one that offers a more competitive interest rate than other ring financing options. You might also be able to fold in other upcoming costs as part of a wedding loan.
Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. Checking your rate takes just a minute.
Photo credit: iStock/ljubaphoto
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