<prompt> Human: I havent been thinking too much on finances and future so I need some input.Monthly income 3000Mortgage 1500moExpensesGas, Bills, Food, etc 800moI can save about 500-700 a month.I am planning to purchase an engagement ring 8-10k which entails a wedding25-30k and a honeymoon5k? havent even looked into this yet.I have about 8000 saved up. I do not max out my 401k right now. Just enough to get companys matching. I want to put more into 401k but I also need to save money for wedding, etc. I plan to propose within a year and maybe have the wedding a year afterwards.Kids will enter the equation sometime after that.I want to start a Roth IRA as well as soon as I can.Thinking about something to do on the side for extra cash but I have no idea at the moment. Everything is so expensive that its frustrating and stressful. I appreciate your time input, Im hoping to be able to see a clear path or direction.Edit: This came up to be more about my girlfriend. Trust me, shes a frugal person... more than myself. Id get frustrated sometimes when she makes me go couponing with her to save a few bucks. I came up with the amount for the ring based on a few rings that she liked. She did not know the cost of these rings. We talked about it and for the size she preferred. If I can get it cheap, then I get it cheap... What I would like to know is how should I handle my financial situation right now. How should I divide up my savings? Should I put more money into 401k? roth? or continue saving as much as possible for wedding? Is there something I should learn or read about that will help me? Stocks? Options? Assistant: Professional wedding planner here.I recommend that you have a candid conversation with your future wife about wedding expectations. While articles will advise you that the average wedding is somewhere in the 25k ballpark, expectations can send that number soaring. A bride who anticipates a 5-figure ring who has grown up around successful people your words, not mine may have a 50-150k wedding in mind.Will she be working to contribute financially toward the wedding? What about parents? Is she intent on a 300-guest gala to impress all her well-to-do contacts which is not a problem if its funded by someone who has a large chunk of expendable cash? Or is she open to celebrating with 20 of your closest friends and family on a beach at an all-inclusive resort?Know what you are getting into before you put a ring on it. Make sure your goals are in line. A wedding lasts one day; a marriage is intended to last a lifetime. With a mortgage currently sucking up 50 of your income and kids in potentially 2-3 years, my advice would be to get on the same page about a very modest wedding well before you propose. Once you are engaged, the planning will become intense and consuming, emotions run high, and well-meaning family and friends will introduce pressures that will challenge your budget. Figure out the plan before that happens.Human: We talked about the price of ring. Shes flexible... and doesnt quite care about the cost... just a specific size and clarity which is up to me to find a good deal on. Im expecting 8-10k. She does not expect me to get a ring like her friends. We both agreed on as cheap a wedding as we can get but like you said, average is 25k. Shes a frugal person in general. She likes to do couponing. She doesnt have brand name purses. Shes happy with a 2 purse if it looks good. I bought her a kate spade for 150 for her birthday once and that is the most expensive purse she owns. She just wants a nice ring, because its for life for her and its important to her. We will split the wedding cost. Its just the ring for me.  <response>: Dude, that is the 50th time youve mentioned that she loves to coupon. That doesnt matter.You know how many coupons it would take to offset a 25K wedding? Stop staying that just because your girlfriend likes to save a buck here and there at the supermarket she isnt be ridiculous about all of this.But hey, start a marriage with a bunch of debt. Dont worry, that isnt the number 1 cause of divorce or anything. 