Eyeglasses

Oooh.  Enticing title, eh?  So, I last went to the eye doctor back in my last life.  At that time, the doctor tried to convince me I needed bifocals, but of course, being the young and silly thing I was, there was no way I would be under 40 and wearing them.  I got single vision glasses.

Fast forward to now.  Job in accounting is painfully difficult with these glasses, so I have lately resorted to wearing dollar store cheaters on top of my regular prescription.  Envision female Bob Cratchit here.  Except they are zebra printed cheaters.  

Monthsish ago, I read an entry at WiseBread I think about someone who ordered glasses online.   Saved loads of cash.  Filed story away in brain somewhere.  Then, Claudia talked about it on her blog recently.  After one more day of looking like an idiot at work, I went to the eye doctor (nice chick in front of a Sam's Club.)  (This is probably the point where I interject that I am trying to avoid all of Walton's concepts, since I am pretty sure they are trying to become the Empire and take over civilization as we know it.  Nice Eye Doctor assured me she had nothing to do with Sam's other than sharing a building.  She even took my Amex card, so there!)  I tentatively asked her if she'd ever ordered glasses online.  Immediately, she said that she had ordered frames online, but she was nervous about ordering bifocals online.  However, she provided me with the elusive "pupillary distance " measurement and even recommended a website:  Zenni Optical , which I had already visited prior to this appointment.

After the appointment, I went into the store and asked the optical department employee how much lenses would cost in the prescription I had just been handed by the doctor.  $98 per lens for progressive lenses with anti-glare coating.  A $20 fee would also be assessed for using the same frames that I have.  I browsed around a bit and decided that I just wasn't ready to fork out at least $233 for new lenses in the same old glasses.

So, I went home and started browsing the website.  It didn't take long for me to find a dozen styles that interested me.  I settled on a plastic frame ($8) to put single vision dark lenses in for sunglasses and a wire frame to get made into progressive lenses.   I filled out all the blanks on the order form and the total, including the $4.95 shipping charge was $64.80.  SIXTY FIVE DOLLARS for two new pairs of glasses.  Now, I am well aware that they might not be perfect.  My last pair of glasses, made at one of those one hour places at the mall were not perfect either, and I paid significantly more for them.  Right now, I am wearing cheaters on top of my regular glasses, so it's not like I have a high quality pair of progressive lenses that I am replacing, either.  Howdy has some wicked astigmatism in his eyes, so I can understand his hesitation with ordering glasses online, but for $65 for two pairs, I figure I can afford to at least try them out since I don't have those problems.

I feel obligated to point out that Zenni appears to be the very cheapest of the online purveyors.  There are others, but I was looking for bargains, not bells and whistles.  Other than browsing there myself and what the doctor told me and what I have read online, I know what you do.

Two weeks estimated production time.  I promise to report back honestly about my experience.  Cross your fingers...but not your eyes.