In my opinion, there’s never only one reason as to why someone makes you wait.

There are many reasons as to why a significant other would give you either a temporary ring or no ring at all, only a proposal. But I’m not sure as to all the reasons everyone would have, but here are at least 5 that I personally know of.

Money; Many people will say that this is a reason that is heard far too often. Personally, I understand this all too well. Engagement rings and promise rings are expensive, more so than they used to be. Also, with the minimum wage differing from state to state and jobs being hard to come by, it’s completely understandable why someone would want to wait to buy any ring. There are bills that need to be paid, loans and mortgages that need to be paid off, and lives that need to be supported including ones’ own.

Timing; Nowadays, everyone dreams of having their happy ending and getting it as quickly as possible. While some couples may start in high school and last forever, some take a long time to build and grow. This also includes finding the time to even get the ring, then you should find the time to plan the proposal and how one is going to propose in general. Also, a big part of timing, is when one finds the time to talk to the parents or guardians of ones’ significant other.

Living Conditions; If one or both parties live in areas where they are not yet stable, then that can turn into a much bigger factor than one might think. If you’re living together, both should be working to pay off rent and other bills that need to be paid. Your place of residence should feel comfortable for each of you and offer aspects that both of you enjoy having, and feel the need to have. There’s no issue in having a small place, as long as it is what you both need/want at the time. Even if it’s only serving as a temporary home, until you find something better suited, at least you both will have a place to call home at the time.

Family; You should always be sure that your significant other gets along with your family, as well as you with theirs. You both will one day becoming a family of your own, but it’s better if you have the support of both families before and after that. And, be sure that if/when a proposal comes the family is either informed or involved in the moment. The more the both of you become, or try to become, more involved with your families, the less worry you both will have down the road.

Stability; This includes stability in yourself as a person, and stability in the relationship. Before someone goes off to buy a ring of any kind and make any kind of proposal, they need to be sure in their belief that the relationship will last. Of course, no one can be sure about if the relationship will last forever, that should be something both parties will always work towards. And you yourself should feel stable enough to want to share everything you have with someone else. Both of you need to feel comfortable with yourselves and each other before any big commitment is made.

While for some people these may not be the only reasons, in situations I have seen and heard of these are 5 of the biggest reasons. So, if your significant other, or even yourself, is apprehensive about getting a ring of any kind, consider these reasons as to why. It’s never just because they don’t love you, there are always other reasons as to why someone wants to either wait, or make sure things are “in order” before anything happens.