Would contacts be cheaper than my ridiculously expensive glasses?

[InterFactual]

I have a severe astigmatism, very short sighted (around -10) and this year I've just started wearing varifocals.

Current glasses cost £500 and absolutely gutted my tiny savings account. Would contacts be cheaper?

I tried contacts years ago when my vision wasn't as bad, before I needed varifocals. I didn't get on with the toric ones , I found them thick, scratchy and uncomfortable but this is nearly 20 years ago. Are they any better these days? Can they even prescribe them for astigmatism plus varifocal?

In the short term, yes they would. But over a year you will have paid more than you would for glasses (exception being for super expensive designer frames).

Can you not get any nhs help for this? Have you tried asking an independent opticians.

Is gas permeable an option? They were about £90 per lens but the solution is not that bad price wise. Had my current pair for about 5 years.

My eyes are minus 10.

I don't know if soft lenses have improved but I chose gas due to the length of time I wear them as they allow more oxygen to pass through.

NHS help is piddly. Like £25.

Yes at minus 10 you are clinically blind.

No, you're not.

Blindness is measured by CORRECTED vision (I.e, WITH prescription), and visual field.

Modern silicone hydrogel contacts are comparable with rigid gas permeables for oxygen permeability. I wore the latter for 20 years and thought they were great until my optician suggested trying silicone hydrogels and wow, nothing on earth would make me go back to RGPs now, they are comfier, less prone to getting dust behind them or pinging out when you rub your eyes and don't dry out if you have a nap wearing them (the latter is a HUGE improvement). I have been wearing SHs for 20 years now, 16 hours plus a day and my eyes are totally fine with this.

I get subsidies due to being -10 but as I can see perfectly with correction I am most definitely not clinically blind.

@gravitytesterI stand corrected.

I just remember reaching -10 being a milestone as it meant finally getting an NHS contribution and I must have associated that with an inaccurate explanation of it that I formed in my head at the opticians.

Interesting about silicone hydrogels. I have worn gas permeables for about 25 years now, it does seem no one really wears them anymore!

I have varifocal lenses which are fine for most things. I do find driving at night difficult and also the very far distance is not so sharp. I also find it much more comfortable to take them out if I'm reading for any length of time - I can see fine, just not comfortable.

I recently got varifocal glasses. (I had tried them 20 years ago but just felt disoriented). What a game changer! Much sharper vision, night driving is fine, no issue with long or short distance.

I wear my lenses much less now. Still useful to have but not quite as effective as the varifocal glasses.

I didn't mean any offence with the clininally blind comment, in case I caused any.

I remember this too back in the 80s.

Like @OllyBJolly , after 40 years of contact lenses I'm actually wearing my glasses more than I ever had as I actually like my glasses! For once the corrected vision is better than my contact lenses.

@MistyTrains2 Not at all, just wanted to clear the misconception. You get free eye tests at -10 which could easily lead to that impression.

@NCTDN It's interesting isn't it. My glasses aren't a patch on my contacts, mainly because of the poor peripheral vision in glasses with mine being so strong. It's really hard to reverse park in glasses, if I think I see someone I know on the other aide of the street I have to turn my head fully before I can tell, which is embarrassing if it turns out to be a stranger after all, also I can't do eye make-up unless I have my contacts in because without them I have no space between my nose and the mirror to get my hand in between. Then there's steaming up, the problem of sunglasses, for me the hate for glasses goes on.

I can't wear contacts as they pop off my eyes but please remember that if you drive you will still need a physical pair of glasses on you at all times so there may jot be savings to be had.

Can you try online glasses suppliers like simplyspecs or glassesdirect? You may find them cheaper.

@Onceuponaheartache I do keep old glasses in both our cars just in case but in 40 years of contact lens wear and driving I have never once needed them.

Doesn't matter that you have never needed them. By law you are required to carry a pair in your current prescription.

If you are stopped you could be liable to a fine and points if you are found to not have them.

If anything happened to your contacts you are required to have a back up.

Honestly believe me, asda asda asda!!

What? I have never heard this. I always have spare contacts in the car, why would I need glasses?

Mumsnet is a never ending source of information!

Up to £1000 fine if found to not have current prescription.

Have you got an official link to that rule @Onceuponaheartache ?