Inside: How To Save Money On Glasses. Collaborative post.
You shouldn’t have to pay through the nose just to see clearly. While the price of glasses has gone up a lot in the last few years, there are many ways to reduce the cost. This post offers a few tips for saving money on specs.
Shop online for glasses
When shopping for glasses, consider looking online instead of visiting your local optician store. You could find that prices for the same pair of glasses are 30% cheaper online. This is particularly the case when you buy from an exclusively online glasses store – such companies don’t have the overheads of running a physical opticians store, and are therefore able to offer much lower prices on glasses. Shopping online also allows you to compare prices across multiple stores, as well as accessing online coupons.
Change the lens, not the frame
Had an eye test and need a new prescription? Instead of buying a completely new pair of glasses, consider simply getting new lenses fitted into your existing pair. This is often a lot cheaper as you’re not paying for a new frame. Just be wary that if the lens needs to be thicker, some frames may not be compatible, and so you may have no choice but to upgrade the frame.
Skip the extras
There are many extras that you can buy when purchasing a pair of glasses. This includes lens add-ons like transition lenses, anti-reflective lenses and blue light lenses. Some opticians may also try to sell you insurance or a lens cleaning kit.
Consider whether you really need these extras. They could push the price up dramatically. With the case of lens cleaning kits and insurance, you may even be able to find that you can save money elsewhere.
Look after your glasses
Constantly having to get your glasses repaired or replaced will cost you money. This is why it’s important to look after your specs. Always keep your glasses in your case when not in use and avoid wearing your glasses when doing physical activities where they could get broken (contact lenses are a much better choice for things like gymnastics and contact sports).
You can insure your glasses if you think you’re likely to break them, but it’s generally a more sensible and cheaper idea to simply adopt new habits when it comes to looking after your glasses.
Invest in Lasik
Lasik (laser eye surgery) could help to correct your vision so that you don’t need to wear glasses. It is expensive – but you’ll likely save money in the long run by never having to buy new glasses again or go for regular eye tests.
Lasik has permanent effects in most cases. Unfortunately, it is not applicable to all sight problems. It is worth booking a consultancy session to see whether you are eligible for this treatment. Any other existing eye conditions (like cataracts or an eye infection) may have to be treated first before getting this treatment.