An Engagement Ring Fund

"I'm a Guy With an Engagement Ring Fund"

We've heard of girls saving up for their wedding dresses way before they even have a man. But a completely single guy stashing money away for an engagement ring? That's unheard of...until now. 

 Ten years before he would ever meet and propose to his wife, my longtime friend and former roommate Ian invested in a diamond for a future engagement ring. He was 100 percent single at the time.

His engagement ring fund began when he was 18. Ian's father knew an old German Gemologist and encouraged him to start saving up for a rock. "It's a smart thing to do," his dad said. The idea behind this early investment was simple: He knew a wife would eventually come into his life and diamonds don't really go down in value. Why not get a jump on one of the biggest purchases in life? Inspired by his father's wise words, Ian began putting his pennies away and asked the jeweler to keep an eye out for a quality stone that was well-priced. It wasn't too long before the jeweler located an excellent VS1 precision cut diamond. Basically, the diamond was flawless to the naked eye.

Ian paid several thousands of dollars that he had stashed away and his father fronted him the rest, which he would repaid over time. For an entire decade, the stone and its paperwork laid dormant in a little plastic baggie. It was stashed away inside the seat cushion of an orange 1970’s recliner in his father’s hobby room. This was the last place they expected a thief to ever look for diamonds.

When I first heard this, I thought it was highly unusual. I mean, seriously: Why would someone make such an early advance investment, especially when there are no guarantees?

At the time, I had a lot of uncertainty about finding The One. I had met a lot of girls while in college, but none who I really wanted to pursue. I thought that I must just be too picky, but now when I look back, I think I just wasn't ready. In the process, I think I've passed up some really good girls and probably disappointed some hearts too. Now 33 years old, I'm starting to understand how Ian felt when he bought that loose rock: I do really want to settle down and get married. When I was younger, I felt that marriage would hold me back and somehow stiffle my sense of adventure. I really just think I was afraid of commitment. But I don't want to "do" life alone anymore. I've realized that life is more fun when you can experience it with someone you love. And as I see all my friends getting married, it hits me that I'm not getting any younger. Everyday that goes by, more and more women are coming off the market...so I better jump in before it's too late.

When a guy realizes what he wants in life, he begins preparing, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously. It's sort of like what Billy Crystal says in When Harry Met Sally, "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." With Ian, it was a very conscious choice to begin saving early for his engagement ring. With me, it’s been more of a subconscious one.

I recognized earlier this year that although I had retirement savings, stocks, and an emergency fund, I had a separate account set up so I could quickly access money for a "life event" What "life event," though? I'd set up a ring fund without even really admitting it to myself.

Call me crazy, but to be honest, knowing that I have been saving makes me feel really good. It solidifies the decision that I ultimately do want a committed relationship. Financially, it's a wise choice. When I'm ready to pop the question, I won't be scrambling for cash. Right now, I'm not in a relationship. But when I do get into one, I won't tell my girl about the ring fund. That's something I'd reveal after my proposal.

Of course, there may be times where you doubt why you’re even saving. With Ian, there were moments when he thought his future bride would never arrive. He figured maybe he would end up getting his ear pierced and repurposing the diamond into a flashy earring or a Super Bowl-style ring that he could show off to his buddies. But eventually she arrived in 2009. The girl he had waited for all those years (a fun spirited girl from the east coast) came and he proposed to her on Alki Beach overlooking the Seattle skyline. The diamond (his savings) finally served its purpose, and while the stone had been selected several years earlier, he personalized the ring with the perfect setting. It was exactly what she wanted.

I hope I'm not too far behind.

From: WWW.Cosmopolitan.com

By Juan Garcia

Posted by Mags