<prompt> Human: Im in the process of buying an engagement ring and I have zero idea on what to do and how much to spend. What have you guys on reddit done in regards to buying an engagement ring and wedding bands? How did you determine how much you wanted to spend or if you even bought a ring in the first place? I want to budget appropriately and not get ripped off.Thanks  <response>: If you are looking to purchase a diamond ring... my advice is to get the best bang for your buck. Some thoughts:1. Learn as much as you can about diamonds. The 4Cs, blah blah blah. Its helpful to get educated at a jewelery store even if you have no intentions of buying it at a bm store. If you live in a big city, theres probably a diamond strict where youll have access to more diamonds than you care to see. Stick to GIA and AGS certified diamonds EGL is extremely loose with their grading. Compare the COLOR in person. People have different tolerant levels of whiteyellowness.. maybe even bring her along for one session just to get a better idea of what setting shed like and her ring size.2. go to Find an online retailer through there for significant savings, esp if you pay with a wire transfer. The message board is extremely helpful too when you are comparing stones from these online merchants. They will send you picturesvideos and scope images. Youll have a good idea of the quality of diamond from this.3. If she cares about size and all that stuff... probably run. but if you really thinks shes the one despite her materialistic nature... def pick a mercant that has a 100 upgrade policy. If you can only afford a modest sized diamond now but might be into upgrading in the future... many online retailers will credit you the full value of what you paid today which is a good thing because diamonds will depreciate.4. If you live in Philly, I have a few recommendations if needed. 