Is it taboo...to mention price?

[soocool]

I am a very private person and do not think it is anyone''s business what I paid for something, unless I offer to let them know. Some people don''t mind when you ask, others tell you before you ask or even if you don''t care what they paid. I don''t think I would be harsh if someone asked me the price, but I would either ignore the question or change the subject.

I have seen many beautiful rings that I am sure has cost big bucks (but big bucks is a relative term!), so if I know I cannot afford that 3 carat ring I wouldn''t even think of asking. Many of the rings that I have seen that are breathtaking are a lot lot less than the 2+ carat rings. I have even been extremely impressed with the less than 1 carat rings. What does this mean? I think the entire ring is gorgeous, not just the stone! Reading how happy someone is becoming engaged and getting the ring they will always cherish makes it PRICELESS! So why would I ask? But that is just me and my opinion.

 

[Phoenix]

It's funny, I don't think anyone IRL or on PS has ever asked me how much my rings cost (except for this one nosey person IRL, who's kind of a tactless and offensive person anyway). I know some people IRL have wondered but never actually come out and asked me outright. I wouldn't mind answering a question like that if the person asking the question genuinely wants to know because for example, they're considering purchasing something similar. (Actually, someone here recently asked a general Q abt a Leon setting - which I happen to have - and I gladly answered, but I guess that's another thing altogether).

Despite having lived in Asia for the past 14 years, the last 9 of which in Singapore, I am still amazed at how blunt some people are. I remember when I first moved to SG, my boss asked me how much money I was paying for my rent in front of a table full of people!

. Then I had another colleague telling me that I should've been renting a room in a flat instead of "wasting [my] money" by living in a 3-bedroom apartment all by myself (my husband was still in HK at the time)!! I've had taxi drivers asking me how big my house is, how many kids I have and what do I do for a living

. I am a lot less surprised these days but the Brit in me still consider it kind of rude. I try to remind myself when I'm asked such questions that it's just a cultural difference and that some people just ask out of pure curiosity or even pure boredom and that they don't even realise they're being intrusive or rude.

Having said that, it is considered quite normal here for everyone to ask everyone else how much their houses cost, how much they paid for the renovation etc. But the friends that we hang around with tend not to ask us any question regarding my jewellery, our clothes or our shoes. I think they're just not interested!