Yep, I still do thrift stores but I've learned my lesson, no more bags of purchases followed by giant hefty bags full of donations for me. I'm still thrifting because I put on a few pounds and don't want to commit to high end stuff quite yet, but I've gotten much pickier. I keep reminding myself there's a good chance it's in the thrift store for a reason.
We use Sam's Club optical department. Never had a problem.
Before I chose to vote with my dollars against Walmart, I bought a couple of pairs of glasses there and thought I got a very good price on high-quality goods (I have one of those strong prescriptions, though I wasn't in bifocals back then). Sam's Club ought to be identical. DW has done well at Target Optical, but her prescription is nowhere near as strong as mine.
My last pair was done at a local independent optical shop. It was expensive (though lower priced than some of the numbers mentioned here) but I've gotten lots of compliments on the frames (yeah, I'll admit I still care) and the lenses have been fine so far. What I've read about on-line prescriptions for people with high-index bifocal Rxs like mine was not encouraging and, this time, I didn't have the luxury of waiting out shipping and sending back and shipping again. It's encouraging to see here that people are doing well (for the most part) with WP and Zenni.
As for the frugal part, I'd check to see if medical insurance includes at least a credit toward eyeglasses or if any affinity group you belong to (employee group, social organization, professional society, credit union, etc.) offers discounts. My experience is that small independents tend to charge more because they don't deal in volume and tend to offer more fashionable/purpose-built frames and lenses because that's how they differentiate from the mass marketers. We also have access to a healthcare-reimbursement account (pre-tax); though we never qualify (knock on wood) it is possible very expensive eyeglasses on lower incomes also may qualify for at least a partial Federal tax deduction.
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
I agree that costco is great. The eye doctor there is good. The contacts significantly cheaper than my former eye doctor charged. I assume the glasses are too but I haven't bought a pair of frames in at least a decade so I can't really speak to that.
I am still wearing the frames I bought 18 years ago. I have 3 pairs but I only need them for reading so that may be why they are lasting so long. If I wore them all the time I would probably be more picky.
DH and I have been ordering prescription glasses (for nearsightedness, reading, progressives, and presc. sunglasses) online for years. Between the two of us we've probably ordered 20 pairs of glasses online. We have never had an issue with any of the companies we've used (probably 4 different ones... I look around to compare prices and frame styles).
One of the numbers that has to be provided is the pupillary distance. It is simple to measure. I generally measure it three times before sending the prescription... but now that I've measured it so many times, I'm confident that I have the right numbers for each of us.
As for the fit of the frames, I don't know how they do it -- but they do seem to just fit right out of the package. I think that a lot of the adjusting that needs to be done at the optometrist must be due to the frames being bent while lenses are inserted or something like that.
One suggestion I have for anyone who is ordering a first pair online is to look for frames with similar measurements to a favorite old frame, so that the size is something that is similar. A few millimeters in either direction on a lens makes a big difference.
double post
I read that in NY your optician has to give you your pupillary distance but the store will fight to keep that info because that is what you need to get online glasses. But I did get one saleswoman to give it to me. I am extremely nearsighted with bad astigmatism so I was limited to a very few online sites that could make my glasses. I got a normal pair of glasses and prescription sun glasses for way less than $50 for both at Zenni.
then I had a detached retina and there is only one lab in the tri-state area who will do my awful prescription, I have to get regular lined bi-focals because progressives only work up to a point. I tried without success the online sites, just about every optician store I could think of. I always got told, "go back to XYZ store, only they will be able to fill them." That's where I went for my "good" glasses, they knew me for many years and yes, they could get my lenses from this special lab. For $1600 for just the lenses! I got the least expensive but sturdy frame I could find, so all told, it was $1800 with a 20% offer they have with my employer. I felt physically sick. It cannot possible cost THAT much to make the lenses?
I digress. Zenni still sends me emails with promotions. glassyeyes.com is a blog that the guy likes to give out tips on online glasses and who has the best deals. I haven't read the blog since it no longer applies for me. But when it came time for measuring PD, he's very helpful. He also rates sellers by quality of product
Another vote for Costco!
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