HOW TO FIND A GOOD DEAL ON A WEDDING RING

What if you cannot afford a high priced wedding ring? Well, that seems very unlikely considering that the average wedding is a mere $15,000.00! A wedding ring itself, let alone the entire ceremony, is expected to run several thousand dollars. But if you don't have that kind of money on you, then don't resort to bank robbery or creating your own online Rolodex scam company. Simply consider the alternatives—specifically, these four great ideas.

1. Estate Jewelry
It's much classier than a garage sale, and much cheaper than a department store-perhaps even a pawnshop! Individuals are selling jewelry at an estate sale and may have just the band or just the stone you're looking for. If you find only part of what you want you can always get it modified for much less than paying for a brand new ring.





2. Insurance Jeweler
Don't be embarrassed. A lot of people are not aware that there is such a thing as an insurance jeweler. Too bad-people who buy from an insurance jeweler could get wedding ring discounts as large as 33% off. Insurance jewelers usually work out of an office and usually specialize in replacing rings that have been lost or stolen. They can also do business with first timers; so don't be afraid to give a listed insurance jeweler a call.

3. Shop at (Gasp) Wal-Mart
Wait a minute. Only poor people shop at Wal-Mart, K-Mart and other Mart type stores. Wrong, these stores are for any type of people that are looking to save money. (The rich are especially frugal!) So don't discount Wal-Mart and similar stores just because of the brand name. Often times such stores sell the same 2 kt diamond wedding rings for much cheaper than the same rings found in department stores.





4. Be a Ring Hunter
This means looking everywhere-even in the "swamps" of commerce, like pawnshops and local newspapers. Pawnshops have a lot of quality rings that would look even better after a professional polish. Rings offered in newspapers might not only be high quality they might be much less expensive, since the individual sellers are just trying to make some of their money back rather than score a huge profit.

Remember that a wedding ring can still be beautiful even if it's used. It might require a little bit of polish or even repair. But a little extra effort in searching for your ring and restoring it could save you lots of money.