Need advise about bifocals

[Melissa in NC]

I need advise. Of course, money is tight. I need to update my prescription and I could use bifocals. They want 300 for the lenses alone.

 

Do I really need bifocals? Currently, I just take off my glasses to read. It is not annoying me much to do that.

 

The above price is for the progressives. I am a utilitarian type of person. If I got bifocals, I could live with a line. Opinion?

 

The cheapest option would be to get single vision lenses put into my existing frames. I would appreciate any advise. I know the hive is a place to find options that I have never thought of on my own.

 

TIA

[gingersmom]

I switched to bifocals two years ago and am thrilled with them.

 

I definitely had sticker shock when I found out how much it was going to cost.

 

I was having serious headaches so I really had no choice.

 

My bifocals have no line. I just assumed that is how they are all done now.

[BikeBookBread]

I have progressives. I tried to put off the new Rx as long as I could. Yikes...mine were close to $400 LENSES ALONE!

 

I bought a pair of cheapie readers, which worked for a while, but I did get awful headaches. When the headaches got horrible, I finally renewed my Rx.

 

I would definitely say if you can, shop around...it's surprising the range of prices I was quoted.

[Audrey]

I need advise. Of course, money is tight. I need to update my prescription and I could use bifocals. They want 300 for the lenses alone.

 

Do I really need bifocals? Currently, I just take off my glasses to read. It is not annoying me much to do that.

 

The above price is for the progressives. I am a utilitarian type of person. If I got bifocals, I could live with a line. Opinion?

 

The cheapest option would be to get single vision lenses put into my existing frames. I would appreciate any advise. I know the hive is a place to find options that I have never thought of on my own.

 

TIA

 

 

You may want to check into prices at an online glasses place.

 

Zenni Optical or Clearly Contacts are two that get good reviews. I have purchased glasses from Clearly Contacts and been very happy with them. I have high index prescription and my lenses would have been nearly $400 CDN, but were only $99 CDN there. I know they also have progressive lenses available as well, and I believe those were something like $199 CDN (probably less USD). Frames are incredibly cheap at both places.

[mammaruss]

Yes--check around!! Hubby was quoted a little over $500 at the eye doctor--we shopped around and saved over $200 by going to Vision World!

[OrganicAnn]

I wore bifocals as a child and then now that I'm in my 40s I'm back in bifocals. I have the type with the line, because I felt that I was used to the line from when I was a kid. And they are less expensive.

 

If you go with a cheaper source for glasses make sure you check out reviews. My husband bought a pair from a cheap source and they turned out really bad. Cheapy frame bent then broke. The tint of the glass was different between the two lenses.

 

The best thing I ever did was also buy a pair of 'computer' glasses. My optometrist had a special on the second pair and we used a discontinued frames so they weren't too expenses.

[Sandy in Indy]

Is there a Costco or Sam's nearby? They have great prices on glasses. You don't have to be a member...you just need to know someone who is!

[Ravin]

Costco, Sam's or Wal-Mart are all good places to go for glasses. I've got astigmatism, nearsighted, bifoc's, and totally different scripts for each side and I've seldom paid over $100 for my lenses, even with the scratch-proofing, etc.

 

I'd definitely say no thanks to the progressives. I've worn bifocals since I was 11 yo, and I think progressives would just bug me. The line is easy to ignore. I'm also partial to a larger bifocal than the 'standard', but that's just me.