You’re excited to get engaged, but you’re not so excited to spend everything you have. If you’re worried about going way over your budget, here are some tips that will help you save on every step of your proposal.
How to Save on the Ring:
The first thing that you need to do is shake off the idea that you should spend a minimum of two-three months of your salary on the ring. You should spend what you can reasonably afford. Don’t saddle yourself with unfair expectations before you even go shopping.
The next thing that you should do is skip the big chain stores. These jewelry chains will often have high markups on their products to make up for their larger overhead demands. You’re better off going to a custom jeweler like Alexis Gallery to get beautiful and budget-friendly engagement rings in Toronto. They don’t have the same business expenses, so they can set more affordable prices.
These are some other tips that will help you save on the ring:
- Pick a smaller center stone. Generally speaking, the higher the carat, the more it will cost.
- Consider lab-grown diamonds. They often cost less than their earth-mined counterparts.
- Create the illusion of a larger stone with a halo.
How to Save on the Date:
You might feel pressured to bring your sweetheart on an expensive date to set up the proposal. You don’t have to book a seat at a Michelin star restaurant and shower them with champagne and rose petals. There are lots of ways that you can set the mood without spending a fortune:
- Bring the restaurant experience to your dining room table. You can whip up incredible dishes like steamed lobster that you bought from Get Maine Lobster or homemade pasta at a fraction of the restaurant prices.
- Wait for the sun to set and go stargazing together.
- Re-create one of your first dates. Stream the movie that you saw at the theatre, play the record of a band you watched perform, make the cocktails you drank, etc.
How to Save on the Engagement Photoshoot:
It typically costs hundreds of dollars for a professional engagement photoshoot. Is there any way that you can trim those costs? These are some tips that could help you:
- Lots of professional photographers offer bundle packages for engagements and weddings at more appealing rates. Take the bundle to save in the long run.
- Don’t add bells and whistles like videos and printed albums.
- Practice engagement photo poses before the shoot so that you can see what you like and save on time. Going over your allotted time will cost you extra.
If that doesn’t sound like enough, you could try to DIY your engagement photos. You can download photo-editing apps and software to help touch up the shots. You can look up tips for lighting, angles, and poses online. You can even make DIY photo backdrops out of affordable items like paper streamers or fake flowers. All you need is a friend with a steady hand to grab your smartphone and take the photos for you.
You don’t have to drain your bank account just to propose. You can still pop the question and have a wonderful engagement while staying directly on-budget.
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