Middle class spend-spend-spend mentality

coolio_2

Are you certain that they are getting into heavy debt? You can easily take 3 holidays a year for next to nothing. Vegas can be done for 2 weeks in 4 and 5 star htels with a car for half the stay for about £700 each. Private villas in Spain including car for a week is only about £400 each.

clairehi

Well if your GF wants 3 holidays a year and blah blah blah, she can pay for it (or take out the loan) herself can't she?

Friend of mine got married last year, all the blokes at his work were competing over the size of the rocks they bought their fiancees in engagement rings. How sad. He wanted to get her a 1 carat diamond, she actually refused because it was so big it looked ridiculous.

the world has gone mad!

sciencegeek

all this talk of big diamond rings etc has got me thinking---

Does anyone else find it strange that a big expensive ring has become expected (along with a big expensive wedding and a big expensive honeymoon etc etc).
Fair enough to symbolise your commitment through a ring and enjoy your wedding and honeymoon but since when did the cost become such an important factor.
I suppose a socialogist might argue that traditionally it demonstrates a mans ability to finacially support his bride but in this modern society of "equality" is this still appropriate??

when I eventually get engaged I am tempted (as a kind of mini-social experiment) to suggest to my wife-to-be that I am expecting an enormously expensive engagement ring from her and a wedding ring and mention that I am going to spend £800 on a suit I will wear only once

Good luck OP. Remember its your life (well yours and hers) and live it the way you want to and not necessarily how her friends want to live theirs.