Saving Money On Eyeglasses

Saving Money on Eyeglasses

by Hillary Rubin

Nearly every parent in this economy knows that if there is something you want to buy – you can surely find a way to save money on that purchase. Many people turn to weekly circulars but more people are turning to the internet. You can find deals on everything from the latest netbook to your every day shopping necessities like food. Coupons and discounts are as old as the business world itself! But can you really find eyeglasses online to fit your budget that will not break on you the moment you take them out of the box? Absolutely! The real question is how can you save money from buying them online as opposed to buying them in a store?

There is an old saying of “you get what you pay for” and the adage may be true in some respects. What’s the major difference between buying your prescription glasses online and buying them in a store? Overhead. At an optical store with a physical location – you are paying for the office space, their furniture, the water cooler they use to bring you water, their coffee machine, and everything in between. You don’t pay for all of the overhead with online companies.

Buying online can be A LOT cheaper. Here’s an insider tip: the average pair of eyeglasses costs about $20 to produce while you pay around $400 at an online store. These savings come in handy when you have kids who have little fingers that like to break things. There likely isn’t a parent on earth who hasn’t experienced a pair of broken  at the hands of a child. Replacement eyeglasses or a spare pair of glasses come in handy when this happens. The best places to look for even more savings on purchasing glasses online are the coupon and discount sites. A lot of these sites even offer incentives for using their services – like cash back! In this economy, people are starting to view vision care as unaffordable and many online sites are taking notice. Save yourself some money – do a little research on the company before you buy eyeglasses from them. Also research their return policy – this will save you a lot of money in the long run. One last insider tip for you: before you leave your eye exam – get a copy of your prescription. Legally, your eye doctor must provide you with a copy prior to you leaving the office. Any doctor that tells you otherwise is not telling the truth. A lot of times people are duped into buying at the same store they received their exam from – especially when kids are involved. The little people in your lives are extra money for optometrists offices. Save yourself the hassle and grief – not to mention the guilt trip – and take a copy of your prescription after every exam … just in case.