Buying Jewelry for Her Without Spending Too Much

After nearly 9 years of marriage, I've found it sometimes takes a bit of work to keep the romance alive. And, being a devoted husband, I do make an effort when it comes to this.

One of the ways I do this is by buying her little "just because" gifts. Most of the time, I will buy her flowers. But, flowers do eventually die so, in an effort to give her something a little more permanent, I try to mix it up and buy her something she always loves, jewelry.

Now, if you are like most men, you're probably saying something like "that's great if you're made out of money." Well, that doesn't describe me either. But, I have found I can do this without necessarily breaking the bank by following three simple rules.

Rule 1 - Diamonds might be her best friend but aren't necessary if you personalize. There are a couple ways you can approach this rule. If you know her birthday (and you should), look for jewelry with her birthstone. Or, if you have kids, look for jewelry with their birthstones.

Another thing I found that works well is finding jewelry that will match a specific outfit that my wife either just purchased or wears on a regular basis. Even if I just spend $5, it usually goes over very well because it proves I was paying attention.

If you do have a little extra money, there are also plenty of places (like Walmart.com) that offer personalized engraved jewelry for a reasonable price.

Rule 2 -Watch for the sales. A few months ago, I bought my wife a pair of diamond earrings that normally sell for around $100. I got them for $15 because they were on sale. I've also done the same thing with necklaces, bracelets, etc. and have made a habit of checking out the jewelry section whenever I'm out shopping. If nothing else, I'll buy the reduced priced jewelry and hide it for a later date.

Just one word of caution with this, make sure to examine the jewelry before buying it. As it turns out, the earrings I mentioned were on sale because they got a shipment that had a lot of defective pair. Fortunately, I was able to find a pair that didn't fall into that category.

Rule 3 - Presentation is everything. One thing I figured out early on is it doesn't matter what you spend on a piece of jewelry as long as you present it to her in a way that makes her feel special. This is why I'll quietly leave it on our bed at lunch (so she gets it when she gets home from work). I will often include either a short note or card and even put it in a gift bag.

Basically, what I'm saying is, if the gift is given with love, sincerity and a little thought, she won't care what you spent on it.