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

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

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

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?!

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Try having a child with myopia. The NHS don’t cover their lenses so every time she needs new glasses it costs us £200.

I second the recommendation for Iolla. I'm a -10 with astigmatism and pay £85 for glasses and thinned anti reflective lenses. For the first time in my life I actually have two pairs of glasses I can wear on rotation, which feels like a luxury! Their frames are lovely, even with thinned lenses I think you're still better getting plastic frames as the daintier metal frames are better for lower prescriptions and thinner lenses.

Those that have supper expensive glasses - when I was paying £500+ for mine i'd have them as listed as a valuable on my contents insurance. Worth doing in case you lose them/they get broken.

I wrote to my useless mp about this years ago. My eyesight is something like -10, Dd is -13. We both obviously need max thinning which is expensive. We do get free eyesight tests and a £17 voucher. But we don’t choose to have eyesight this poor.

I do think there ought to be more help with thinning costs for people with poor vision. It’s not about looks, it’s the weight of the lenses, the fact that thicker lenses would scratch my face. I will try Asda next time for their free thinning.

Everything is like this. There was a man on the radio yesterday complaining that his audi had restricted him being able to heat the car and defrost the screens. He confirmed that he "wouldn't have bought it" had he known. When asked why he said because it was an extra £200 to get it unlocked on the app and his finance for it was already £500pm! He hadn't actually bought it, he was renting it. To me this says a lot about how people don't see debt which is why everything is spiralling price-wise. Of course businesses love it, but if you are actually trying to earn and live within your means it feels like everything is beyond reach.

If you think paying for thinning is bad (because you can't help having bad eyesight), until you hear about very expensive travel/car insurance for people with chronic illness!!!

We’ve both used Lensology recently and have been happy with the glasses and the service.
I’ve had 2 existing frames which I really liked re glazed with a new varifocal prescription- £100 which I thought was reasonable.

Well Dd at the age of 21yo had multiple pulmonary embolisms as well as -13 eyesight. Plus 3 different autoimmune illnesses. So sadly I get whacked on all fronts as I buy her glasses and travel insurance!

Broke my glasses last summer. I knew it would cost me around £500 for a pair so decided on laser surgery instead.

I'm-9 in one eye and -7 the the other. As I've hit the -9 I get an NHS discount on having my lenses thinned.

That’s less than £1 a day if you wear them for a year, which is a very reasonable cost to be able to see properly.
If you get your eyes tested every 2 years as per the usual standard that’s less than 50p a day.
Put 50p a day in a savings account - you won’t notice the cost and you’ll have the money next time you replace your glasses (unless you lose them).

My glasses cost more than twice than the OP's! I have a very strong and complicated prescription, involving astigmatism, so I need the thin lenses or they'd be like Mr Magoo.
I do get the NHS discount, but it's a drop in the ocean.
I tend to go for expensive frames as they're on my face all day every day, so per wear they're probably not too bad.
I have a glasses pot in my bank account that I put money into every time I get paid, to cope with the cost. It's just something I have to suck up.

100% correct. Another specialist ripping people off for profit. And we pay it so can’t complain.

Try living in France, the price of frames here is 😲which is why I bought my last ones in Specsavers - got a standard test and two pairs of varifocals for £350, which I didn't think was too terrible.

I get all mine online now and it’s life changing. You upload your prescription and use an app to measure your pupil distance. I was really sceptical the first time but had 8 pairs of beautiful distance specs arrive and prescription sunglasses for an absolute steal: Google the site zeelool. Some of the frames are as little as $10.

Same! I'm -10 in each eye. I need varifocals, and need them thinned as much as humanly possible. It was £750 for my last pair - £600 of which was the lens cost!

Due to familial glaucoma, I have to be tested every year with retinal photographs etc.. This year, my optition offered a monthly payment plan, which covers all eye tests and offers 20% off specs, so I signed up for that, I will still have to pay for any specs, but the load will be lessened somewhat.