It is not too much to want cheap prescription glasses and sunglasses that look great and function well. UV protection, anti-glare, tinted lenses, bifocals, polarized, light-weight frames, and sports goggles — the options in eye wear seem almost as endless as the cost. If your prescription glasses or sunglasses are putting a pinch on your wallet then you need to re-think how and where you are purchasing them. Here are a few tips to help you to save hundreds on eye wear. All you need is a current prescription — one that is no more than a year old — and your pupil distance measurement. If you don’t have either call your eye doctor. The doctor is required by law to provide you with both.
Instructions
things you’ll need:
A current prescription for glasses (has to be within the last 12 months)
Your pupil distance (PD) measurement (ask your optometrist to provide you with this number. They NEVER write it on the prescription).
1 USE YOUR FSA TO SHOP WITH TAX-FREE DOLLARS. If your employer offers a flexible-spending account (“FSA”) you can set aside up to $5,000 per year tax free for health-care related items, such as prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, co-pays, and eyeglasses. The FSA does not restrict where you purchase your glasses so you can use this money-saving step along with the steps that follow.
2 JOIN THE CLUB. Shop for glasses at a warehouse club, such as Sam’s Club or Costco. Usually you do not have to be a member to buy glasses. Warehouse clubs typically have great deals on glasses, significantly lower prices that you will find at the local mall. Prices for frames and lenses run from $100-$150.
3 KNOW YOUR STYLE. Want to save even more money? If you know what style of glasses you are looking for it is possible to buy very economical prescription glasses by shopping on-line. You may be able to find a pair that suits your needs for as little as $20-$50. The disadvantage is that you can’t try on the frames before ordering. Also, shopping for glasses can be a bit frustrating. The on-line retailers stock hundreds of frames. Brand name and designer frames are even available on-line at a significant savings. Brands like Dolce Gabbana, Oakley, Persol, Vogue, Guess, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Dior, Ray Ban, Prada, Kate Spade, Gucci, and many others. If you are not sure what type of frames you’d like you may want to visit a retail shop to narrow down the options. Make notes about the brands and styles that you find most flattering so that you can conduct a focused search later by Internet. The style and size is generally indicated in small numbers on the inside of the frame.
4 NARROW DOWN YOUR NEEDS. There are a lot of add-ons available for prescription glasses. You will need a good understanding of the features that you need. Before you try to compare prices make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Are you shopping for polycarbonate or regular plastic lens? Do you need a coating or a tint?
5 START SHOPPING. When you have a general idea of the type of frames you are looking for, and the various add-ons that you’d like, then you are ready to start shopping. Explore Internet sites such as framesrx.com, eyebuydirect.com, 39dollarglasses.com, glassesusa.com, or goggles4u.com. Depending on the retailer and your personal prescription, your glasses will arrive by mail in one to three weeks.
6 USE THE SAME TOOLS FOR CONTACTS. If you wear contact lens then consider using the Internet to purchase your lens too. You can purchase the same brand name contact lenses that you wear now for much less. There are several Internet sources for contact lenses. Again, shop around and make sure to have a current prescription for contact lenses. Two on-line retailers that you might want to try are visiondirectcom and 1800contact.com.
Tips & Warnings
Be careful of the add-ons. The base prices for eye glasses can be very low, but the add-ons can quickly increase the total cost of your glasses. Figure out exactly what you need and then stick with those features.