Finding Affordable Glasses

[sariesue]

As my body quickly begins to fall apart at 24, I found out this morning that I need to get new glasses. Actually two pairs of glasses because I need reading glasses for over my contacts. I went to one of those glasses chain stores and found that, I really should get progressive lenses which cost over 300$ there on their own, plus the frames was going to cost nearly 700$. Just for one pair and I need two. So, I left the store and had a little meltdown on my way home from the store. I can't afford over 1 grand for new glasses. And my reading perscription is different in each eye so I can't just buy drugstore glasses.

Has anyone ever bought glasses online? I've bought contacts online without any problems.

I plan on checking out walmart and target for their pricing next. But, I don't know where the closest ones are with vision centers.

[Jestgar]

try Zenni optical. You have to know your prescription, and figure out a few things, like pupal distance, but prices start at about $10. I've gotten glasses there twice, this last time I got prescription sunglasses (no bifocal) and progressives. Total was about $55, and I got free shipping.

[kareng]

Are you going to wear contacts most of the time? You can get cheap reading glasses many places. I got cute purple ones at the Dollar store.

When I wear my glasses, I read under them or take them off if I'm going to read a bunch. I don't need the reading help for my bare naked eyes, just when corrected for distance.

You can get cheaper glasses at Walmart but take them immediately to your eye doctor to get them checked as I have seen some articles about the cheap glasses not being the right perscription.

Is there anyway they could use your old frames & just change the lenses?

Edit" Just noticed you need different reading in both eyes. there are styles of reading glasses that are "frameless" They screw to the nose and the sides. You might be able to find 2 identical ones, with different strengths and screw them together?

[sariesue]

  On 2/23/2012 at 7:02 PM, kareng said:

Are you going to wear contacts most of the time? You can get cheap reading glasses many places. I got cute purple ones at the Dollar store.

When I wear my glasses, I read under them or take them off if I'm going to read a bunch. I don't need the reading help for my bare naked eyes, just when corrected for distance.

You can get cheaper glasses at Walmart but take them immediately to your eye doctor to get them checked as I have seen some articles about the cheap glasses not being the right perscription.

Is there anyway they could use your old frames & just change the lenses?

Edit" Just noticed you need different reading in both eyes. there are styles of reading glasses that are "frameless" They screw to the nose and the sides. You might be able to find 2 identical ones, with different strengths and screw them together?

My old frames are fairly stretched out and too small for progressive lenses.

[sariesue]

  On 2/23/2012 at 6:59 PM, Jestgar said:

try Zenni optical. You have to know your prescription, and figure out a few things, like pupal distance, but prices start at about $10. I've gotten glasses there twice, this last time I got prescription sunglasses (no bifocal) and progressives. Total was about $55, and I got free shipping.

Thanks, do they work ok?

[Jestgar]

They seem perfectly fine. The sunglasses are great, but I think the frame size I chose for the progressives was a little too small-it's a little harder to get the right position of my eyes. The first pair I got was just straight prescription, no tinting and no bifocals. I got them to take on vacation, since I didn't want to worry about breaking/losing an expensive pair of glasses. In retrospect I should have gotten the progressives/bifocals the first time since it was a little hard to read maps, but other than that they were great. I spent $12 on those, including shipping.

[tarnalberry]

  On 2/23/2012 at 6:50 PM, sariesue said:

As my body quickly begins to fall apart at 24, I found out this morning that I need to get new glasses. Actually two pairs of glasses because I need reading glasses for over my contacts. I went to one of those glasses chain stores and found that, I really should get progressive lenses which cost over 300$ there on their own, plus the frames was going to cost nearly 700$. Just for one pair and I need two. So, I left the store and had a little meltdown on my way home from the store. I can't afford over 1 grand for new glasses. And my reading perscription is different in each eye so I can't just buy drugstore glasses.

Has anyone ever bought glasses online? I've bought contacts online without any problems.

I plan on checking out walmart and target for their pricing next. But, I don't know where the closest ones are with vision centers.

Buy cheaper frames. (Sriously, you can get frames for $50 if you need to. No, they're not the greatest and nicest looking, but you won't actually be seeing them all that much since they are on your face! )

Reconsider if you actually need progressive lenses. Usually bifocals (which is what progressives are - bifocals that are blended) are for when your eyes can only focus in a very small range. Really, the whole things seems rather odd. You can't focus on things close up when wearing your contacts? Seems like a prescribing problem. And if you can't focus on things close up with a correction for nearsightedness, then it doesn't seem like you are a good candidate for contacts. I suppose this is really "consider finding another optician to work with, this one seems to want to take your money and that's about it".

I don't skimp on glasses (but my prescription is stable and I average a pair every three years, including sunglasses and glasses for working at the computer - to correct my astigmatism but not my nearsightedness), and even then I'm looking at $300 after insurance. But that's the bells and whistles on $300 frames (I *love* Sillouhette frames. I do NOT love their prices.) When I was in college and had to replace a pair that got stepped on (ahhh... college...), I think I went to Walmart and paid $75 or so. Oh, I didn't like how they looked, but I could see the front of the classroom...

[Darn210]

If you don't want to do online . . . which sounds amazingly cheap, btw . . . I've had good luck at Costco. I don't know how different adult pricing would be, but my daughter picked out $49 frames (there were some higher) and her very straight forward lenses were also $49. If we had gotten an exact duplicate second pair, they would have taken $25 off of the second pair.

Like I said, I don't know how different the adult pricing would be, but I bet they could tell you with just a phone call.

[dilettantesteph]

I'm happy with my online glasses. I measured my pupil distance with an online program I found. They are progressive bifocals and work fine, actually better than when I got glasses from Empire Vision, and those ones cost me $500. I got another pair of reading glasses. You can even add transition lenses for not that much more. I am very happy with the whole online glasses thing and plan to buy all the rest online from now on. I'm convinced that glasses are a big rip off. It would be better to get your eye doctor to measure you pupil distance though.

[bartfull]

I tried progressives once. I hated them. They are not like regular bifocals - the part you read out of is actually just a very narrow strip in the center. I actually had to turn my head to read across the page of a small paperback book!

[sariesue]

  On 2/23/2012 at 8:40 PM, Jestgar said:

They seem perfectly fine. The sunglasses are great, but I think the frame size I chose for the progressives was a little too small-it's a little harder to get the right position of my eyes. The first pair I got was just straight prescription, no tinting and no bifocals. I got them to take on vacation, since I didn't want to worry about breaking/losing an expensive pair of glasses. In retrospect I should have gotten the progressives/bifocals the first time since it was a little hard to read maps, but other than that they were great. I spent $12 on those, including shipping.

Thanks for giving me more information. I found an amazing deal at sears of all places for 2 complete sets including the progressive lens for 99$. If I'm not happy with the progressives then I'm going to try there. I happened to be at the mall and walked by the ad.

  On 2/23/2012 at 9:15 PM, tarnalberry said:

Buy cheaper frames. (Sriously, you can get frames for $50 if you need to. No, they're not the greatest and nicest looking, but you won't actually be seeing them all that much since they are on your face! )

Reconsider if you actually need progressive lenses. Usually bifocals (which is what progressives are - bifocals that are blended) are for when your eyes can only focus in a very small range. Really, the whole things seems rather odd. You can't focus on things close up when wearing your contacts? Seems like a prescribing problem. And if you can't focus on things close up with a correction for nearsightedness, then it doesn't seem like you are a good candidate for contacts. I suppose this is really "consider finding another optician to work with, this one seems to want to take your money and that's about it".

I don't skimp on glasses (but my prescription is stable and I average a pair every three years, including sunglasses and glasses for working at the computer - to correct my astigmatism but not my nearsightedness), and even then I'm looking at $300 after insurance. But that's the bells and whistles on $300 frames (I *love* Sillouhette frames. I do NOT love their prices.) When I was in college and had to replace a pair that got stepped on (ahhh... college...), I think I went to Walmart and paid $75 or so. Oh, I didn't like how they looked, but I could see the front of the classroom...

I can't focus on things close up whether or not my vision is corrected or not. As it was explained to me, my eyes have a problem focusing on things that are close such as reading a book. Additionally I am moderately nearsighted to the tune of -4.5 in one eye and -4.0 in the other. So I can sorta read without my glasses but, only if it's 4 inches away from my face then it's very difficult to focus on the print. I have needed my distance glasses to read for several years

85

While this is the first eye dr to prescribe reading glasses the eye dr I saw for years before my move last year told me several years ago that this was looming in the future. So I have no doubt that I need them. Progressives were reccomended because of my job, I work in a classroom and the concern with bifocals would be seeing the kid's work and the board but not what the kid is doing. My last pair of glasses came from walmart, the problem is that the nearest walmart that has a vision center is now an hour a way. And I'm not sure we have a costco.

[Missandi]

I know you just said you got some at the mall...but I have to second Jestgar's opinion!!! Zenni optical is awesome. I was skeptical at first...but i've know 4 people now to use them, so i tried it - and the glasses are great! All you need is prescription and pupillary distance. When you are viewing frames they tell you if they are small, med, large - and you can even upload a picture of yourself on the sidebar - to "try them on"! This company is awesome. I got 3 pairs for $70 (plus clip on sunglasses for each)! I like being able to wear glasses now as an accessory instead of just necessity!! Yay!

[Cathey]

I've been offered progressive many times (they also cost 4 x's as much), I stick with the bifocal. I have a pair for the computer at work and also my everyday. Since your only wearing them over your contacts you may want to buy a cheaper frame.

Also I don't know your particulars but if you have no insurance and are not married you maybe eligible under a parents health insurance plan till age 26 (I hear they want to change it to 29). Just a thought, hope this helps.

Cathey

[sariesue]

  On 2/28/2012 at 9:34 PM, Cathey said:

I've been offered progressive many times (they also cost 4 x's as much), I stick with the bifocal. I have a pair for the computer at work and also my everyday. Since your only wearing them over your contacts you may want to buy a cheaper frame.

Also I don't know your particulars but if you have no insurance and are not married you maybe eligible under a parents health insurance plan till age 26 (I hear they want to change it to 29). Just a thought, hope this helps.

Cathey

I have amazing health insurance through my parents. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover glasses. It will cover a yearly eye exam but not glasses. It's the only problem with it.

[MaryJones2]

We use Zenni too and love them. We did quite a few upgrades and came out under $50.

[xjrosie]

For the reading glasses -

buy two pairs of reading glasses that are identical, but buy one pair for the strength on your left eye and the other pair for the strength of your right eye. Pop one of the lenses out of one pair and replace it with a lens from the other pair. You will then have reading glasses for eyes that need two different strengths.

Just make sure to throw the extra lenses away so you don't confuse them with your "custom" pair.

Also, Walmart has a great eye place. I got a pair of glasses, a eye exam, a contact lens exam, all the appropriate testing, plus enough contacts for one year for about $270. And, my glasses were cute!

[livelifelarge24]

My friend recently purchased glasses at cheapglasses123.com and she LOVES them. She said the quality is better than the ones she purchased at Costco. I will definitely be getting my next ones there.

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[tom]

  On 2/23/2012 at 6:59 PM, Jestgar said:

try Zenni optical. You have to know your prescription, and figure out a few things, like pupal distance, but prices start at about $10. I've gotten glasses there twice, this last time I got prescription sunglasses (no bifocal) and progressives. Total was about $55, and I got free shipping.

Oh how I miss the pre-celiac job-provided Vision Plan. I've needed new specs for a while. I had no idea they could cost so little.

But I'd need to get prescription checked.

Someplace should do that w/out packaging it w/ glasses purchase, I suppose/hope.

Ooh I'm kinda psyched now! Great thread!

[alex11602]

  On 3/24/2012 at 11:37 PM, tom said:

Oh how I miss the pre-celiac job-provided Vision Plan. I've needed new specs for a while. I had no idea they could cost so little.

But I'd need to get prescription checked.

Someplace should do that w/out packaging it w/ glasses purchase, I suppose/hope.

Ooh I'm kinda psyched now! Great thread!

I know that at the Walmart Vision Center near me the eye exam is completely separate and costs about $50.

[tom]

  On 3/24/2012 at 11:51 PM, alex11602 said:

I know that at the Walmart Vision Center near me the eye exam is completely separate and costs about $50.

Ahhh thank you! So quick!

There's even a Walmart just a few long blocks from work.

[kareng]

  On 3/25/2012 at 12:04 AM, tom said:

Ahhh thank you! So quick!

There's even a Walmart just a few long blocks from work.

I used to do the Walmart eye doc. He was really good. He moved to his own practice. Did OK with the Walmart glasses as he checked them to make sure they were OK.