How much should you spend on a wedding ring?

How much should you spend on a wedding ring? Whatever fits your actual budget — the old "two months' salary" rule was literally created by a 1930s diamond ad campaign, so please retire it.

What I see couples actually spend in my shop:

• Plain gold or platinum bands: $200–$1,500
• Bands with small stones or engraving: $800–$2,500
• Engagement rings: wildly variable, but $3,000–$6,000 is the most common range I sell

My honest advice after 15 years: decide the number before you walk into a store, because a good salesperson can make anything feel reasonable. A ring you love at $900 beats a ring you are stressed about at $9,000. Nobody at your wedding will know the difference, and your emergency fund will thank you.