Frugal Hack: Buying Glasses Online
23 Aug, 2020
I refuse to spend $903 on a single pair of glasses. But I can manage $326 for three pairs.
This is a blog post about wearing glasses and as I sit down to write this even I’m unsure if those people who come to my blog for my thoughts on investment and good money management are going to hang around long enough to see the point of me writing it?
So, this post won’t be for everyone, but it is for everyone who either wears glasses or knows someone who does.
Hello?
Is anyone still there?
I’ve worn glasses since I was 16 years old when my Mum must have noticed me squinting at the telly and took me off to the optometrist, only to have me end up rocking the latest style of eyewear, which if I recall were these big round tortoiseshell things, which are unfortunately back in fashion (or are they?):
What was I thinking?
I had to treat them very carefully because I only had one pair and once I started wearing them full time I realised how right Mum was, my eyesight was poor and without my glasses, I was a bit blind.
Never into fashion, but aware that I could match my glasses to my outfit if I wanted to, I never had that choice because a single pair of glasses cost quite a lot of money and the plan was always to buy a single pair and wear them for as many years as possible until:
A. They finally fell to pieces, or
B. My script changed and I could no longer see clearly.
Then off for an eye test I went and the laborious process of choosing a new frame etc. And it was not until I got a full-time job that getting prescription sunglasses was even an option, far too expensive you see. And in case you are wondering, I’m unfortunately unable to wear contact lenses.
Why buy glasses online?
Over thirteen years ago Jonny (also a glasses wearer) stumbled upon buying glasses online and we have been doing that ever since. Plus, I’ve been sharing this frugal hack with as many people as I could since then too, because over the years we have saved, between the two of us, EASILY $10,000 by buying glasses online. Easily.
Yep, I’m not exaggerating.
But many people still remain sceptical about the process and the quality, so I just wanted to quickly share my own experience. Why? Because if you can keep your expenses low, that will free up money so that you can then go ahead and pay down debt or invest.
Our aim is always to spend less than we earn and this is one of the ways we keep a regular expenses as low as possible.
I get regular eye tests from my optometrist (if you are an AA member or have Southern Cross health insurance check to see if you are entitled to a free examination), every one to two years at the moment because my vision is changing as I age (sigh!) They perform whatever tests they need to do and then I ask them for a copy of my prescription to take away. I tell them that I am buying my glasses online and that I also need my PD (pupillary distance - the distance between my irises) measured. At no point has any optometrist sucked on their teeth and warned me that I’m damaging my eye health while buying online and in a way, I get a better check done because when they offer me extra testing for various eye-related illnesses, at an extra cost of course, I say yes. I can afford those tests, but I can’t afford the cost of the glasses they are selling in their shop.
When buying online you can still spend the big bucks if you want to (although take it from me as a long time glasses wearer NO ONE notices whether you spent $100 or $1,000), they offer designer frames etc, but for me it’s just not necessary. On a daily basis I use three different pairs of glasses:
Sunglasses
Lightweight single vision glasses for running
Full time wear progressive glasses
Late last year Jonny and I visited the optometrist for an eye check and out of interest I got a pair of glasses priced up, it’s not something I usually bother doing, because I don’t want to waste their time when they are not going to make a sale. But on this day I asked for something from the cheapest range and told them that cost was important to me, they needed to be the cheapest, please. A pair of glasses with progressive lenses, choosing all of the cheapest coatings etc was priced at $903.
I just about fell off my chair. Obviously I would then need sunglasses as well, so you can double that figure. Crazy money.
Both of our prescriptions are changing year on year at the moment and we need to change our glasses every time (I could only increase my phone font so much before my daughter started mocking me) and we simply can’t afford/choose not to spend that sort of money EACH per year. So, by buying online, we can afford it and now we don’t hesitate to buy new glasses each time our prescriptions change, it’s a relief in a way because there is nothing worse than having dodgy vision, especially when driving.
After coming to my senses after the $903 shock we headed home and logged on to Clearly and 39 Dollar Glasses.
We have used both sites for many years. Clearly* proclaims itself to be “New Zealands #1 Online Eyewear store trusted by 5 million customers around the world” and $39 have been selling online for 20 years, so they must be doing something right as well.
On this occasion I used $39 Dollar Glasses.
How to choose the right pair
I took my frame measurements from the inside arm of my current glasses:
Your current glasses should have frame measurements on the inside arm. This will give you a good starting point for finding the right fit.
Then I set the criteria in the search box and let it choose frames that fit my criteria, including that the glasses were progressive (because not all frames can be used for progressive lenses). Then I clicked the “Try On” tab and it activated my computer camera and there I was up on the screen WITH the glasses I had selected on. I continued to try on glasses and call the whanau over to check them out too until I found the pair that suited me. I added it to my shopping cart and kept looking. This process is basically the same on Clearly.
Next, I wanted a pair of sunnies as well, I didn’t want these to be progressives, just single vision full-time wear, so I tried a few on and selected a pair. Finally, because I had chosen quite a chunky pair as my main glasses I also thought I would get a third pair which were lightweight that I could wear running, so I selected a third pair of single vision full-time wear for that purpose as well.
When I got to the checkout, I went searching for a discount code. There are ALWAYS discount codes available and via the creepiness of the internet you no sooner have to start using their website when discount codes start popping up for them on any website that has sidebar ads. Once you have signed up to their site they also send you regular emails offering discounts. So, all up, THREE pairs of glasses cost me $326 NZD (if you use 39dollarglasses they work in USD).
Total costs of my order:
Progressives - $275
Single vision - $60
Sunglasses - $74
Shipping - $12
Total - $421
Less discount codes:
TOTAL cost - $326 NZD
Within two weeks my new glasses arrived and, as always, they have been excellent. They fit perfectly but most importantly I CAN SEE! Wearing progressives was a first for me and I had put it off because:
It made me feel old
I had heard so many people complain about how hard it is to get used to them but I think it took me about two minutes, glasses technology has moved on so far that it was a complete non issue for me.
Jonny had also updated his prescription and in December he bought a couple of pairs of glasses through Clearly. He is always looking for a deal and purchased a pair of single vision full-time wear glasses and a pair of single vision sunglasses, used a 'buy one get one’ promo that they had on at the time, plus free shipping and only paid $102 NZD.
Then in May I caught him putting on another pair of glasses over his normal glasses to help read something up close. The time had also come for him to get progressive lenses. Clearly had a promo going with 40% off lenses, so after 5 minutes online he had a new pair of progressive glasses ordered for $218 NZD. Jonny has also bought contact lenses through Clearly.
Jonny’s new pair of progressive glasses.
Having purchased so many glasses online over the years I have had the odd issue, usually of my own making. I have chosen some really ugly frames, which as soon as I took them out of the case I thought “what on earth were you thinking Ruth”? One time I ordered three pairs and the lenses were all wrong, my vision was blurry. After a bit of investigating and using their online chat feature I worked out that my optometrist had written down my prescription incorrectly. Amazingly, they just told me to fill out my order again and they will resend them - for FREE! Even though it was my error and not theirs. Because of their ongoing discounts (make sure you find a discount code each time for greater savings), generous reward schemes, exceptional service plus the fact they donate so many pairs to those in need, for both Jonny and I it’s a no brainer to buy our glasses online.
If you are a glasses wearer and are putting off visiting your optometrist because you know that you will be facing a big cost, I’m here to tell you not to wait. You will pay $60 - $100 to have your eyes tested and checked by your optometrist (super important for your eye health) and then you can quickly and cheaply find a pair online.
As with doing anything new, navigating a new website and working out how to enter your prescription will get your brain working, plus, it took me a little time to work out the perfect frame size for my face, but we find it super easy now and it is one of THE best frugal hacks I’ve found and continued to use over the years.
