I’ve worn glasses since I was 9 years old and in case you haven’t noticed? Glasses can be super expensive and contact lenses? Totally worse. Growing up pretty much dirt poor, there were times where my parents struggled just to keep those glasses on my face and as I’ve grown older I’ve had to find ways to save on them because most of my adult life I’ve struggled too. Thankfully now, I don’t have to worry about it for more than one reason. These 3 ways to save big on eyeglasses are the best that I’ve found for getting cheap eyeglasses and a cheap eye exam.
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3 Ways to Save Big on Eyeglasses
The good news is that it really doesn’t take a lot of work to save on your eye exams and glasses. It isn’t like other areas in your life where you might be trying to save where it might take constant work. Since most of us only need to have an exam once a year, that makes it much easier to do. One of the biggest costs when buying glasses actually isn’t the glasses even though it might seem like it. The cost of the exam is what will eat at you for the most part so that is the place to start when you’re trying to save money here.
To start, you’ll need to find an affordable eye doctor. Key word there: Affordable. Chances are that your regular doc, while you might love him and may have even been his patient for years, isn’t affordable. The absolute cheapest place to get an eye exam that I have found is a Walmart. For those of you that don’t like Walmart, keep in mind that the actual medical practice is completely separate from the store itself. The doctors there rent the space from the store, but the store doesn’t have much else to do with it. Visiting one of these doctors though can mean that you can get your entire exam for glasses or contacts for under $90 usually. If you would prefer to see a different doctor, call around you local area and find out their prices. You may need to call several before you find the cheapest.
Once you’ve got your exam done, make absolute certain that you get your prescription. Why? Because (and I’m about to make eye doctors who own their own practice everywhere mad) it is much cheaper to purchase your glasses or contacts elsewhere. Instead of paying $100 or more per pair, sites like 39DollarGlasses.com are fantastic for ordering online. They offer glasses starting at just $39 (the majority of them are that cheap) and there are tons of sites like them out there. You do absolutely need your prescription and you’ll also want to have a clear head shot ready too. Most of the online sites offer the ability to try on glasses via photo so you’ll know exactly what they look like. I have ordered every single pair of glasses that I’ve owned for the last 5 years online and I’ve never regretted it once.
Finally, since I recommend searching online sites for eyeglasses, I also recommend finding a deal. If you can’t, that’s fine, go with the cheapest that you can find and that you like. Some sites however will offer buy one get one sales, free sunglasses when you buy regular glasses or more. Those sites are the ones that will get you the most bang for your buck and drive your final cost down even further. You might end up paying a bit more out of pocket, but if you’re getting a free pair? It’s totally worth it. Just be careful. Free shipping isn’t always the best deal and I would rather pay $10 for shipping than to have to spend another $50 to get free shipping most of the time.