Bride-to-be’s mother slams her $3000 engagement ring and brands daughter’s fiancé ‘cheap trash’

A bride-to-be has revealed her mother branded her fiancé ‘cheap trash’ for buying her a $3,000 white gold engagement ring.

The anonymous man, from the US, has taken to Reddit and told how the bride-to-be was initially happy with the ‘nice little white gold ring with diamonds and a sapphire’ he bought her – until her mother, a jeweler, accused him of ‘using her’ and ‘treating her like cheap trash.’  

The bride-to-be has since ‘refused to talk to him’ after ‘undervaluing her’ and is demanding he spends at least 10 per cent of his earnings on a new ring, which he revealed would be around $10 – $15,000. 

And many were quick to take to the comments section – with one even branding the bride a ‘gold digger.’

‘Honestly I think it’s a red flag that she cares so much about the cost of the ring,’ wrote one. ‘My fiancé proposed with a family ring so definitely didn’t follow the ‘10% rule’ but he could have proposed with a ring pop and I’d still marry him.’  

A woman, from the US, whose boyfriend proposed after choosing a $3,000 engagement ring returned it after her mother told her it was too ‘cheap’ (stock image) 

A second commented: ‘Covid or no Covid, just because you have a high salary doesn’t mean that you have to drop 10k on a ring just because your future in-laws say so.. A 3k ring is in no way cheap,’ ruled another supporter.’

In the initial post, the man penned: ‘My partner and I have been talking about getting engaged for the last year or so. I have quite a good job so could easily afford an expensive engagement ring and if I was following the 10% rule then I should spend around 10-15k on the ring.’

‘However, my parents, sister and nephew have all had Covid this year so I was financially supporting all of them for a while.

‘My sister has lost her job so I’m still supporting her a bit and my job has announced that they will be laying off around 150 people next year and while I feel confident that I’m not one of them, I don’t want to guarantee it either.’

The man took to Reddit and said his fiancee is 'refusing to talk to him' and is demanding he spends at least 10 per cent of his earnings on a new ring, which would be around $10 - $15,000

The man took to Reddit and said his fiancee is ‘refusing to talk to him’ and is demanding he spends at least 10 per cent of his earnings on a new ring, which would be around $10 – $15,000

He went on to explain that after the bride-to-be’s mother criticized it, she has given the ring back to him and accused him of ‘undervaluing her and what she does’ for him – which includes looking after their 18-month-old, cooking and cleaning.  

‘The man continued: ‘I feel like s*** tbh, she’s refusing to talk to me, her parents are accusing me of using her and treating her like cheap trash.

‘I’ve tried to explain my point of view but they won’t listen and are demanding at least 10% ring. AITA for the ring I bought?’

Several took to the comments section to question whether her parents’ worries were due to financial concerns – but the man confirmed this was not the case, and that he even pays his wife a wage to be a stay-at-home mom.    

‘Their concerns aren’t based on any form of concern about financial insecurity as I pay her to be a SAHM,’ he clarified. 

‘She gets $450/week to spend however she likes or save, I happen to know that she has over 40k in her personal savings account. THIS WAS MY IDEA after the birth of our son when she suggested going back to work, I didn’t think it would be a good idea. Her old job paid her $350/week for full-time work.

Many took to the comments section and told it's what the ring symbolizes that matters - not the cost of the jewelry

Many took to the comments section and told it’s what the ring symbolizes that matters – not the cost of the jewelry 

‘Full-time child care/house cleaners would cost around $300-400 depending on the time of year. To me, it made more sense for her to stay at home and bond with our son than to spend the equivalent of her income on childcare/cleaning.’

The comments section was inundated with messages of support for the groom-to-be – with many adding it’s what the ring symbolizes that matters. 

‘They say that compared to my income (100-150/yr) it is, which i understand. I just feel like spending $10k on a ring with covid still around is a bad idea.’

Another commenter, from the UK, wrote: ‘Mine cost £30 and was from Argos, and do you know what, I loved it. It was what it symbolised and who it was from that mattered.’

A third person – also from the UK – chimed in: ‘Exactly.. A ring is a ring. Mine was about £500 I was so totally happy with my ring. Its perfect. Tbh if my husband spent anymore then I would have been so annoyed at him.’

However, another blamed the woman’s mother and wrote: ‘Worst part here is her parents injecting and calling him cheap! Its like her and her parents are the team not OP and her.’