If You Have This Expensive Item, You're Way More Likely To Get Divorced

This item can end your marriage.

By Nicole Weaver — Last updated on Jun 02, 2023

Photo: battler / Shutterstock

man putting engagement ring on woman's finger

Oh, engagement rings … there's a lot of thought and money that goes into them. Money especially, since jewelers advise men to save three months of their salary for a ring.

Three months of their salary! I can barely get a guy to buy me dinner on a first date.

Now, there's surprising new research that might get some ladies to rethink their dream of a massive Tiffany's diamond ring they posted on Pinterest — and let men relax a little more about money.

The cost of a ring shouldn't matter, whether it's $100 or $10,00, what's important is that the love of your life is the one that gives it to you. Besides, you can always lie to people and tell them your future hubby spent more than he actually did, no one will be able to tell the difference.

In 2014, Emory University surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults who have been married at some point and found that people who put down a lot of money on a ring were also the ones more likely to get divorced.

So what's the magic amount to be in the marital safe zone? The answer is between $500 and $2,000.

Men who splurged between $2,000 and $4,000 were 1.3 times more likely to divorce. When it comes to engagement rings the saying, "more money, more problems" is true. Maybe their pick in a future spouse needs to be examined as well, because who wants to end up with someone that cares that much about money?

It's not just the engagement ring cost that can be a red flag. Turns out, you should also try to keep the cost down on your wedding. The same study found that women who spent $20,000 or more on the big day were 3.5 times more likely to see their marriage end.

In order to be safe, you should stay between $5,000 and $10,000. I think it should be socially acceptable to let your wedding be a backyard barbecue and everyone gives you money and says congratulations.

Researchers believe that the correlation between these expensive things and divorce is related to couples failing because of financial stress. And, if you're splurging on the engagement ring and the wedding, chances are you'd overspend on other things, too.