To wish this existed?!

[Rubbleonthedouble1]

I am very very short sighted. I have to pay obscene amounts to have the glass thinned in my glasses otherwise I look ridiculous.

I wish there was such a thing as buying second hand glasses of the same prescription! I know it wouldn’t be ideal!

I hate my current glasses and can’t afford to pay for a new pair and then £200 on top to have the lens thinned!!

I’m long sighted and have the lenses thinned. It’s so ridiculously expensive. I’d love to know if it’s just a money making scheme and is actually just as easy to make them thin as thick (I reckon it is)

I feel your pain - my prescription was -9 diopters last time and I’m ready for a change, and even with small frames and ultra thinned mine are daft. I wear contacts all the time but on the odd days I can’t, I find my specs are heavy and distort very quickly outside the centre of the lens, so I find myself turning my head rather exaggeratedly.

Have you tried contact lenses? Could you save for corrective surgery? My pal had lens replacement for her -9 prescription about three years ago, and swears by it.

I saw a documentary about healthcare in the USA years ago and they had these giant recycling bin things full of old glasses and Poor people could help themselves. Don't know if they still have that

I agree I pay for my DDS to be thinned she’s only 10 been doing it for 5 years her last pair cost me over £140 not everyone can afford that but she’s so self conscious already about her glasses anything. To make it easier

I feel your pain, mine is exactly the same!

Even with cheap frames my lens cost £200...

It’s bloody expensive! I did a months temping in an Optitions once...they pay peanuts for the frames yet charge £125 for them!

You could always start an online business in second hand glasses, OP. You could end up making a fortune, as I’m sure there are many people in the same boat.

@JadesRollerDisco

I saw a documentary about healthcare in the USA years ago and they had these giant recycling bin things full of old glasses and Poor people could help themselves. Don't know if they still have that

We have a organization here called Lions International. They actually collected the glasses for distribution mostly in Africa but to some American people. It was never a free for all for the poor to go through to look for a pair that would suit

I know it's not a direct answer to your question, but years ago I was -9.5/-10 (one eye worse than the other!). I got a consultation for laser surgery but was told it wouldn't necessarily work for me because of how bad my eyes were. Ended up paying a bit more for ICL at an eye clinic in Harley Street, which is not laser but involves injecting a permanent and bio-compatible contact lens into your eye. Weird at the time and expensive but the best money I ever spent - now have 20/20 vision and no scarring like you get from laser. Would really recommend for those with the money or something to save towards.

Have you tried the online opticians? I'm told they are cheap. Or Dp paid a fortune for his so I know how much they can cost, I was getting my (much cheaper) varifocals from specsavers and they quoted £380 but for 2 pairs for his prescription with ultra thin lenses.

I've also saved money in the past by having old glasses reglazed - there are a bunch of online reglazing services that charge less for the "ultra thin" option than high street opticians do for new glasses. You send the old glasses off in the post and submit a copy of your current prescription online.

Yes mine are obscenely expensive especially to get thinned but without it they look ridiculous. My DP bought my last pair (or in his words: 'gave me the gift of sight' knob) because I couldn't afford to replace them and was walking around with lenses so scratched I could barely see out of them. I'd love a more affordable option

@Leaannb

Yes I think they had to be referred. I meant "select an appropriate pair" not "help themselves" sorry. A bit like the shoes thing lots of people do. I think it's marvellous and we should do more things like that. There is so much waste in the world

Last time I got new glasses at Costco they cost £250 including frames, thin varifocal lenses +6/+3.

Sadly, I live in France, it's 600€ a lens.....even with expensive top-up insurance.

Yep I’m with you! Though no one would want mine! I have a degenerative eye condition which I get hard lenses on the nhs for, but even with the ‘free’ nhs treatment card my last pair of glasses cost £400 and that was with nhs frames.

Yes I’ve had to pay silly money to have my glasses thinned.
I’m fed up of seeing offers for a pair of designer specs with lenses for £99 etc.. only to be told that I need to fork out over £200 for thinner lenses then another £150 plus as my eyes are light sensitive then , because of my prescription I ought to pay £99 for a protective coating , because my lenses are “so special” then the next thing I know, I’ve basically paid for a new bloody greenhouse!
I don’t buy designer frames either!

I can’t have laser surgery as I’ve been told that it won’t work with my “difficulties.”
So I’m doomed to buying an effing greenhouse every couple of years!
I now face cataract surgery ( that’s for another thread) but , even then, I’ll still have to wear specs!!!
Specs are a plastic frame with lenses that just need to be grinded /shaped to the right prescription. It’s not rocket science and is made by a machine.
I’m still waiting for my greenhouse.

£200 on top to have the lens thinned!!

Is there an Asda with an optician near you? They thin the lenses FREE

I’m due for another eye test. Looking like vari focals that could well cost about £600.
My lenses alone for bog standard glasses are well over £200
Last test 13 (or thereabouts) in each eye.
I’m one step away from a guide dog.

Asda Opticians do lens thinning included. It's very good value.

I have very thick lenses. I ordered some glasses on specs-by-post.com last week. They came 2 days later (ordered Tuesday evening, came through the door on Thursday). I got one of the cheapest frames (but love the look of them) and paid for the lenses to be ultra thin and ultra hard. Cost less than £40 including the first class postage.

Now I didn’t know that about Asda! I’m gonna go there. I have a small face and close set eyes (great look, I know...) So I mostly have to buy teenager frames or my eyes aren’t in the centre of the lens. Even the petite ones aren’t small enough. So it’s really hard to find glasses that fit me anyway. Especially as lots of the young glasses have stupid characters on them. I find it so stressful.

So that’s why I wouldn’t do online glasses. Because I never know if they’d fit me.