LIFE LESSONS
Is the Price of an Engagement Ring a Symbol of a Man’s Intentions?
“We’re such a materialistic society,” a friend of mine said, her message punctuated by an eye-roll emoji.
She had just shared with me a social media post that had gone viral.
I won’t delve into it, but the gist of it was a young woman was upset because her boyfriend bought her a cheap engagement ring online. She felt guilty for feeling that way, but she couldn’t help it.
A lot of people were reacting, saying that price doesn’t determine the worth of the guy’s sentiments. It’s a symbol of love, after all, so it shouldn’t be about money. Personally, I’m inclined to agree with them. But there’s always more than meets the eye, right?
And so, for this article, I’m going to set my biases aside and try to see if there’s another way to put a ring on it.
Does Price Equal Worth?
The easy answer would be no. You shouldn’t put a price tag on love. The romantic in me agrees wholeheartedly.
But I’ve experienced enough of life to know that things aren’t so rosy. I wish they were. But they’re just not.
Men don’t (and shouldn’t) buy engagement rings on a whim. Essentially, you have to earn an engagement ring. Affording one takes hard work. It takes wise management of your finances. It takes sacrificing material comforts to save up, and this can take years. Money isn’t easy to come by, so what (or who) you spend it on has to be worth a lot to you.
More importantly, it means that you’ve searched your own heart first and realized that, yes, this is the person you want to marry. It also takes courage because even the act of buying it solidifies the intent.
That doesn’t go by unnoticed by most women. No matter how expensive the engagement ring is, if they accept one from the wrong man, they’ll end up paying a much higher price.
That engagement ring serves a purpose. It shouldn’t come easy.
If You Can’t Afford an Engagement Ring, Do You Even Deserve Love?
Of course, you do. Heck, you don’t even need to buy an engagement ring to show your partner how much they mean to you. It’s just like you don’t need a grand wedding to have a loving marriage.
So if you can’t afford an engagement ring, don’t force yourself to buy one.
A no-engagement ring engagement is an option. I’ve known some couples who chose to have their names tattooed around their fingers instead. There are plenty of other alternatives out there that are just as meaningful; some couples plant trees or donate to charities as ways to announce and celebrate their engagements.
But if you choose a ring, there are practical ways to get one for your beloved. There’s the layaway plan or other financial agreements. You can even give them a promise ring and tell them the honest truth: you’re saving up for something more.
Most women love gorgeous engagement rings…but they also love the men who give them those rings more. You’d be surprised just how willing a woman can wait for something she knows she’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Does Price Symbolize Intent?
It shouldn’t. That’s why engagement rings come at different price tags. That’s why there are alternatives.
And given the options outlined here, there’s hardly any need to settle for the bare minimum, is there? Price doesn’t symbolize intent, but true love exerts effort to forge those genuine connections. Always.
