To think nowadays you need a mortgage if you need glasses?

Yes, because eye tests aren’t free for everyone - you have to fit a certain set of criteria or be able to take advantage of an offer somewhere.

I don’t pay for mine but the money I save is a drop in the ocean compared the £500+ I still to spend on my glasses.

I’m only 1.5 for both eyes.Only need assistance for reading.
£6.50. Amazon.
Have several pairs doted around the house.

I'm another one with a high complex prescription. When I hit -10 I was happy to hear my eye test was free on the NHS, you also get a £45 voucher towards glasses. Even with that I still paid over £500 for my last pair 2 years ago and I know my prescription has changed and need new glasses. I've been putting it off all year. No wonder people are driving without being able to see properly when it costs so much.

DD wasn't so bad she is around -4 and wears contacts so is on a contact lens scheme where it includes eye tests and 50% of glasses. Her last pair only cost around £100. I've looked at contacts online for her as well but they don't work out much qcheaper when you include the free eye tests.

YANBU

My DC is under age and so gets money off the NHS but it still cost me £250 and that’s not designer frames or anything.

They always ask if I want a second pair and I have to say no as it’s not something I can afford.

I haven’t managed to find a cheaper alternative, even just for a second pair for home.

If they were slightly worse, then they’d be registered as legally blind and would get more help but I obviously don’t want their eyesight to worsen.

It frustrates me because no one asks to have such poor eyesight.

But people are saying that they are paying for an eye test?

Another one who hasn’t read the thread 🙄

I have a complex prescription and need my glasses thinning to the maximum level as well as a strong astigmatism which means my lenses cost a bomb. I’m then limited to a small number of frames because my lenses don’t fit in their standard ones.

I just had an eye test at Specsavers two days ago as I have misplaced my glasses at home. Haven't seen them in five days. Anyway...the test was free on the NHS and I only paid £70 on their 2 for 1 promotion. I bought two different pairs (not designer). Prescription was included in the cost.

Where do you all live?!

Have you read the thread. Have you read the comments from people, like me with complex prescriptions. We do not have a choice.

You need to ask for your prescription and shop around.

In my area, Asda or one of the independent opticians are much cheaper than the big chains

Prices are going up and its tough to keep independent opticians going. Rent rates etc etc.
We own an opticians and I am an optometrist.
We use top of the range lenses. But have cheaper lens options too. We stock quality frames and do second pairs half price. We are really busy tg. People go online alot and that's a further pressure on stand alone shops and to SS .There are differences in lens quality and coatings and varifocals. Someone getting used to varis and not is often down to when they actually got them was it the appropriate time to get them / were they needed or were they dispensed for the big sale!!
Quality frames last.
Had a woman in yesterday wanting to reglaze a ten yr old juicy couture sun glass. Surely will break on glazing. She was happy when I explained plastic gets brittle with age and if you love them don't do it!
Glasses are expensive and getting more so due to cost of living ie So less people changing glasses every 2 years and pressures on stand alone shops to stay open. Like every other high street business .

Not all lenses are the same and esp coatings and coating quality.

Can anyone else here with a high prescription not get them thinned as they get fishbowl effect? I had lenses thinned once and it was horrible. I felt sick walking around as everything was curved at the edges 🤮

Because if you have a complex prescription then buying online isn’t an option, as has been explained on here multiple times already 🫣

Only £5 now for the OCT scan! I had it done yesterday.

Why on earth are you all paying these prices?! I was quoted £280 for my varifocals at my last test and I just walked out with the prescription and got two pairs of varifocals on Firmoo delivered, with transitions for £180. Ironically my glasses turned up before the predicted delivery date in specsavers. Also got two pairs on another foreign site for £120 delivered. You can get standard glasses for £10-30!!! It’s insane that People are paying all this money when you get perfectly decent glasses that do exactly the same job for a fraction of the price and the chances are, nobody will have the same frames as you.

Yep, all these responses saying “oh, just go online!” are so frustrating - I have severe astigmatism and am -9 in both eyes - getting glasses online just isn’t an option and it’s the same for many others.

I’m very lucky that my parents pay for my glasses as I couldn’t function without them.

Sight test yesterday, DSE voucher through work and mother had glaucoma so free test with Specsavers, paid £5 for a thorough test on the machines!
Prescription received told SS assistant their cheapest was still expensive at £120.
Came home glasses direct £40. Job jobbed.

I had a half price voucher for prescription sunglasses. Paid £130 …still feel I’ve been scammed. They’re supposed to be designer but look and feel like I bought them on a beach in Tenerife

You've just reminded me that I bought two $400 pairs, one for reading and one for driving and I have no idea where either pair are! I also suspect I have 3 $40 readers on my head right now....

The problem with places like Iolla is that their idea of 'super thin lenses' is actually nowhere near the level you actually need when you have a more extreme prescription. Im -8 in both eyes which is bad enough but not at the level of a lot of people. I was convinced by Iolla a year or so ago that their lenses would be fine for me - nope! When I went to collect them, even 'thinned' they were still so thick, all i could see was the edges as I wore them and they were so heavy. Thankfully they did agree to refund me but it was disappointing.
Asda are similar if not quite as bad, their top level thinning is a bit better than Iolla but still not as good as other high street/independent opticians where you have to pay extra. And the last time i went there i had to argue with the shop assistant because she said she couldnt authorise the top level thinning for my prescription, only the middle one (which would be nowhere near thin enough) and I only got them in the end after I got the manager involved to authorise them 'as an exception this time' 🙄

YANBU but hearing aids are even worse. Can pay £5000 for a decent pair. And please don't suggest NHS aids. I have a pair. They sit in my drawer unused.

Once you get to a certain level of short sightedness, you can't buy glasses online - I think the strongest they go is about -8

I don't think most people recommending online services realise this.

Looking on the bright side, I've not had to pay for eyesight tests since one of my eyes fell below the -10 mark!

I got similar from Asda this year for £120. 2 pairs of varifocals (one sunglasses) . Very pleased . They’d have been £400 at Vision express

My new varifocal lenses were £600 last month and that was reusing my existing frames. I don't have a difficult prescription either, just reading and computer distance along with a tiny distance correction that I don't really need but it's just easier than putting glasses on and off every 5 minutes.

There is no way that they can justify the price.

I am minus 10 and need varifocals too now so my last pair including the test was £700.

Is "Bankers" a cross between "bonkers" and "wankers" or just a comment on their bank balance.