The rule of how much money to drop on an engagement ring has changed over time.
Back in the day, the unofficial word around town (aka the word spread through marketing campaigns from De Beers) was that a man should spend one month's salary on a ring.
Some people's mouths may drop when hearing that, but nowadays, wedding etiquette experts say someone should spend three month's salary on a ring.
At the end of the day, how much cash you want to spend is up to you and how much is in your savings account, juxtaposed with your comfort level of how much you want to withdraw to spend on a diamond ring.
It could be one, two, three months or a year's salary. If you get lucky, you could inherit a family member's diamond ring and propose with a hand-me-down that will save you thousands.
If you're wondering what some guys spend on the most expensive jewelry they'll buy in their lifetime, here are five grooms who confessed how much they really spent on their brides-to-be...
Chase W., 28
I don't think my wife knows this, or at least it is not something we have ever spoken about, but I spent around $900 on her engagement ring. I was 22 when I proposed. I had just graduated college and we were both living at our parents' houses. I was making minimum wage working at a shoe store. I pulled together the money I could save over seven months and used it to buy her a ring. We've been married for six years and the ring doesn't mean much, the quality of the marriage means way more.
Ron C., 31
My fiancé likes the finer things in life. That's a nice way of saying I had a lot of pressure on me to get her a ring she would like. That's also a nice way of saying I practically drained my savings to buy a ring that was $34,500. I justified the whole thing by saying this was my wedding contribution. Her family was going to pay for the wedding and I wasn't going to contribute to that. This was a cheaper than paying for a 300-person wedding in Florida.
Josh B., 26
I totally lucked out. I'm an only child and my grandma gave me her engagement ring and said that when I got married, I could give it to the woman I married. The ring was definitely outdated in style, but my fiancé always told me she loved that ring and she was pretty happy to get it. I saved a couple grand and still made my lady happy. Win-win situation.
Brett V., 27
I didn't know how much to spend. When I researched it, most places suggested saving and spending three month's salary. It seems crazy, but I saved up for two years so I could do this. I cut back on a lot of personal expenses. In the end, I spent close to $20,000 on the ring.
Troy M., 29
My lady ended up buying her own ring. I've been unemployed for two years trying to start my business. Her job pays her a good salary and she's been saving up for years. I asked her to marry me without the ring because why not? She said yes and bought herself a ring. To us, there's nothing weird about that. Everyone else thinks it's strange.
