If you ask a woman what the 4 C’s of an engagement ring are, I bet some of them could quickly enlighten you thanks to the De Beers. However, my friend, Ziggy (alias), could not care less about any one of those C’s. When I asked her what the 4 C’s of diamonds were, she replied, “I learned them recently but forgot them.” She clearly could not care less about an engagement ring and we will explore her reasoning in this post!
While she probably would not accept the onion ring above as an engagement ring, she informed me that she would be willing to accept a ring from Wal-Mart. When I asked her if she would be willing to accept a ring from there costing only $500, she said, “Yes, I would be cool with $500. It has to be quality though.” My friend admits that she does not know where quality begins but she has her reasons for not caring about an engagement ring.
Her main reason for not caring so much about an engagement ring is biblical. According to Ziggy, “The ring is just symbolic. It is so small when compared to what marriage should look like. That’s a custom we have picked up (which is not bad or wrong) but for me to be concerned about a ring, which is a small percentage of marriage, is just stupid to me. No one I can recall from the Bible exchanged a ring. They did worship sex to make the marriage official, which to me is more important than the ring. The ring has nothing to do with God’s command for husband and wife. It will help you to not fall short but you do not need it. However, you do need to give your body away to your mate!” Valuing travel more than a diamond ring is another reason she gives!
Ziggy really loves to travel; she has been to almost all of the continents (Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America). Her future husband may be able to get away with buying a cheap engagement ring but he will have to spend money on what she values the most, travel. For her honeymoon, she would like to take a month off to travel to one or two continents. When I asked her what two continents she wanted to visit, she said, “Can’t say! I would need his input. I could say Africa and Asia and he want to do South and North America. We are going to have to meet each other half way! At the end of the conversation, we both agreed that couples should spend money on what they value the most, instead of what society tells them to value.
I asked why she thought people spent so much on rings and she replied, “Guess it’s all about preference and what people may value. Some people may value the ring more than the honeymoon experience or want a big ring to show off. I am also not your average girl so my views are probably different from most women.” We all spend money on the things we value the most so there is no shame in buying that expensive ring if you can really afford it. I read an article recently titled Personal Finance is Not About Money. It’s About VHM. that argues finances are not about money but values, habit, and mindset and I agree with the article. Sit down with your partner and decide what you two value the most as a couple. Is a ring more important to you than travel or a down payment on a home? Talk about it!
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