Frugal Friday - Amazing On-Line Deals on Prescription Glasses

My new glasses:



I wear contacts 95% of the time, but desperately needed a pair of "back up" glasses. I had an old pair that would do, but accidentally stepped on them last summer. It was crazy not to have a back up pair of glasses since without them I wouldn't be able to drive. What if I lost a contact while at work, or worse, got an eye infection?!!!

I first read about buying glasses online in a Reader's Digest article. My friend brings me her parents' magazines after they finish with them. This article gives the names of several websites that are reputable. Since I had already ordered contacts on line at CoastalContacts. Com, that was the first place I checked. They had a couple pair of glasses on sale for only $6.95, lenses included!!! The shipping was $6.95 so for about $14.00 I could get a pair of glasses. I need bifocals, but my main concern for this was to be able to drive, etc. So I figured I could take a chance on ordering glasses for distance only, online, if I was only spending $14.00.

I also checked on bifocals and progressive lenses at 39dollarglasses.com. The bifocals are $79.00 and the progressives are $89.00.

I decided to order the $6.95 pair from Coastal Contacts for distance only. These I will use for watching tv at night after taking my contacts out and/or for driving if I can't wear my contacts. I also decided to order a $79.00 bifocal pair from 39dollarglasses.com for multipurpose uses.

They both came in about a week and I am very pleased! So pleased in fact that I ordered another pair of $6.95 glasses from Coastal Contacts while they still have this sale going on. I will leave one pair in the glove compartment of the car, one on the bedside table and one for everything else.

This is a huge a savings over buying glasses at an optometrist's office. For example, my friend's husband bought a pair of progressive lenses two weeks ago which cost him about $300.00.

These are my suggestions if you want to try ordering glasses online:

1. If you are hard to fit or have a hard prescription to fill, you might need to use a brick and mortar optometrist. The glasses purchased on line are guaranteed, but it might not be worth the trouble if you wear glasses 100% of the time and need to make sure your glasses are right or need to have them adjusted often.

Buying glasses on line is perfect for me since I don't wear the glasses that much. It makes more sense for me not to spend $300.00 for something I will hardly ever wear.

2. Remember to get your prescription from the eye doctor when you go for a check up. If possible get them to put your PD, aka pupillary distance, on there. This is the measurement between the center of your pupils, measured in millimeters. This is the only thing that wasn't on my prescription. But, never fear! You can measure your own PD. Just use a ruler that has MMs on it and have someone measure yours. My hubby measured mine at 65.

Its not hard to read the prescription and if you have any questions, the websites explain it for you. You could also call and talk to someone who will help you. You could even fax or email the prescription to them

3. It helps if you already have an idea of what style glasses you like or that look good on you. The websites give you different face shapes and suggestions for which style looks best on which face shape. At 39dollarglasses.com, you can pick a face shape and see how each pair of glasses would look on that face. So you need to decide which face shape you have. You could also go to the dollar store and try on different shapes and styles of glasses to see which one you like the best on you, before going to the site to order.

4. Check around before ordering. I think I could have gotten my bifocal pair at an even better price than I did, but was so excited to order them I didn't wait.

5. Don't forget to go through the Ebates.Com site, if you have an account, to save even more! I received a few dollars in my Ebates account by ordering the glasses at 39dollarglasses.com.

Here are the websites recommended in the Reader's Digest article: 39dollarglasses.com, eyebuydirect.com, goggles4u.com and zennioptical.com.

I got the best deal, unbelievable in fact, on distance only glasses at coastalcontacts.com. Also Coastal Contacts includes a few freebies in every package. When I ordered contacts I received a nice pair of sunglasses that I use every day. When I ordered glasses, there was a key chain with a tightening tool (tiny screwdriver) attached, and a nice cleaning cloth.

Both pair of my glasses came in a nice hard eyeglass case.

For more frugal friday posts go to Life as Mom!