Engagement Rings and Divorce Papers

We've all heard that a man should spend two months salary on an engagement ring. The worst part of this that the credit for this rule is usually given to women, followed by the claim that they just want the expensive jewlery. I don't know who came up with this rule, but whoever it was was a genius.

When dealing with an emotion like love it's hard not to get caught up in the moment. Thoughts of forever enter your mind because you're on a high that you wish could never end. This high will cause you to overlook things because you're thinking with your heart instead of your head. Inevitably this high diminishes and you're left with the impression of a woman that you love. Then the little things begin to surface, until they become big things, and you start to remember when you first noticed that quality in her back when you first started dating. These things happen all the time, and it's a fairly normal and natural course of action when looking for "The One". However, if you find yourself trapped in a corner because you got married while you were on that love high, chances are you'll panic, and regret will set in.

Marriage is as much a matter of the mind as it is the heart, so to insure that you think before you act on an idea like proposing, buy the right ring for her. I don't mean the right size, cut, or weight. I mean the right price, and pay cash for it. First and foremost, a person that can save two months salary possesses the ability to budget, save, and live within his means. These are very important things when managing a house and providing for someone else, but this is a quality that a man should possess before marriage, not the reason for the cost of the ring.

Any man holding a sixth of a years income in his hand has many options. He could put it down on a new car, a motorcycle, a new stereo, or an engagement ring. The difference between these things is that everything but the ring can be given away, sold, or replaced. The ring, however, represents an eternal highway with no u-turn lane. This is what will employ a man's brain while considering the prospect of marriage. Before parting with that kind of cash it's hard not to think about all the qualities, good and bad, surrounding your relationship. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't get married to the person you've been considering, but it'll force open the lines of communication before you get engaged when you discuss the things that you consider potential problems. Once these lines of communication are open and you've sorted out all the things that you feel could threaten your marriage, the lines will stay open to deal with anything else that may come along.