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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the price of specs is awful

56 replies

TheConfusedofthedeadOne · 04/10/2008 17:30

went and had my eyes tested today, chose a nice pair of specs from the cheapest range, bog standard lenses (without anti scratch, anti glare HD and whatever)

They are varifocal tho.

£325.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do people on low income do!! (yes I know people on benefits can get help, there was a quite a nice range with NHS vouchers) but what about the low earners not getting benefits of any sort!

OP posts:
stitch · 04/10/2008 19:16

they budget for them.
eye glassess are a tad more important than everything else, other than food.

StewieGriffinsMom · 04/10/2008 19:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

stitch · 04/10/2008 21:13

as i said before, you budget.

nooka · 04/10/2008 21:28

I suspect that you feel differently if you wear your glasses all the time, or only for specific tasks. I wear mine all the time. Without them I am really quite blind. I have the highest index because otherwise they fall off (one of my eyes is a bit bad and the other is very bad, so they are very unbalanced). That's the biggest cost, and it makes no difference what shop I get them from, so I choose to go to my local independent optician. They have a very good dispensing optician, who always picks out very good frames for me. The frames are also quite expensive, but as I don't wear eye make up, I think I probably do OK because if you add up the cost of one pair of glasses over three years I suspect it costs less than the equivalent amount of make up.

cheshirekitty · 05/10/2008 14:31

If you have rimless glasses, can you have your new prescription put into your old glasses?

I have varifocals, and I think it is the cost of the lenses which make buying glasses so expensive. But as I put them on first thing, and take them off last thing, (blind as a bat) I have splashed out and got some nice frames.

Wordsmith · 05/10/2008 20:38

I think we've established that there's a lot of difference between 'normal' (ie under -6 or so) lenses and those of us who literally can't see anything without them. If I didn't have compressed glass in mine they wouldn't be able to fit into any frames, they may as well just make them into bottles. I'm -10 in both eyes with a hint of astigmatism. When your lenses cost over £300 alone, there is no way you 'don't need to pay anything like that', as someone helpfully advised earlier. And this is without reactolite or varifocals. I wish I could get some prescription sunglasses, but buy one get one free just doesn't apply to us mega-myopics! My DH got two nice pairs for under £100 last time, but then he's only -2.5 or something.

nooka · 06/10/2008 02:27

I agree. I went into Specsavers once and they couldn't make my glasses in their factory, so no discounts, offers or ready in 60 minutes deals were applicable. They would have sent my prescription to the same sort of place as the independent optician, so why bother? I'd rather use my regular optician, where the same lady who has been choosing frames for me for the last 10 years gives better service than I've ever had from one of the big chains, and they have a much more interesting range. Also I got ds's glasses made up at Specsaver once, and it actually cost more, so I was not impressed.

SofiaAmes · 06/10/2008 04:40

Order them online!!!!! I just got glasses from an American website for my dh (I am in the usa, but they ship for not very much to the uk). We got him two pair of glasses for $8 each. Shipping added a few more dollars and altogether he paid about 13 dollars (£6) for each pair. You get your prescription from the optometrist and then order online...it's easy. The place we used was www.bestpriceglasses.com .

fimbley · 06/10/2008 05:44

WORDSMITH-i couldn't agree more,and thank you for pointing it out,it is so very difficult,and expensive!!! for us with high prescriptions,I'm -7.5 - -8ish and never take my glasses off just in case i never find them again

I've discovered this website and can't wait to get my hands on some cash as desperately need new glasses,it's selectspecs.com/main.php
Their Thin 1.74 lenses cost £70,compared to £150 in specsavers...
Definitely worth a try...

tinkerbell75 · 16/12/2008 10:45

Hi Just been to www.glassesframesandlenses.com its a friend of mine who has set up the website and not only do they have cheap glasses (£20) but their varifocals are really good value. They start at £79 bargin.

Go and have a look

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 10:48

I looked at glassesdirect (I think) but I am too shortsighted to get glasses from there. They went up to -8 or something like that and mine are both -10. Will keep looking at other places though as I would like new glasses - have had my current ones for a few years now and they are scratched.

I wear contact lenses in the daytime, but would quite like glasses I can see though a bit better as well.

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 10:56

Ooh have been looking at the sites linked to here and they do go up as strong as myopics like me need

BouncingTinsel · 16/12/2008 11:08

I got mine from Tesco - cheap frames, photochromic thin lenses (costly as I have severe astigmatism) and they only cost £149!
And I got them free as I won the cost back in a prize draw

Actually I think everyone should get some help with glasses. It is a form of disability, albeit in most cases a very mild one. But without my glasses I couldn't manage most tasks in my everyday life - I couldn't drive, safely cross a road, do my shopping or my job as everything is just one big blur

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 11:11

I do get some NHS help - as my prescription is over -10 then I get a free sight test, and a voucher worth something like £10 towards the cost of glasses.

CharleeInPantoPaperChains · 16/12/2008 11:13

I agree bouncingTinsel - poor sight isn't seen as a form of disability in the world today although without my glasses i can't see further than my hand stretched out in front of me, i would have no sort of life without my glasses.
I am lucky to get NHS discount voucher for my rames and lenses so my Burberry glasses cost £40, and then another £40 to replace the frames when DS broke them!

BouncingTinsel · 16/12/2008 11:18

Idris - yes and I bet that £10 goes a looooonng way

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 11:19

Have ploughed my way through an NHS leaflet to find out I can get a voucher worth £13.40 towards the cost of glasses

IllegallyBrunette · 16/12/2008 11:20

If you order your frames online then how do you get them fitted ??

SatsumaMoon · 16/12/2008 11:28

I also need to spend lots on my lenses - but it does pay to shop around. Of the High Street opticians, I find that D&A charge the most for thinner lenses, followed closely by Specsavers. Around £150 extra for my prescription. Vision Express seem to be be quite a bit cheaper and I am thinking of trying Costco next time as they are also more reasonable. I last got a pair around 3 years ago - the lenses are badly scratched but I haven't been able to afford to change them. I got my last pair from an internet company - but they were having a display in my high street so I was able to try them on. Don't think it is really feasible to order online if you need a pair to wear every day - but good for a cheap spare pair.

BouncingTinsel · 16/12/2008 11:28

Yes that £3.40 will make all the difference, instead of getting specsavers own brand frames you'll able to splash out on Donna Karen

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 11:29

Exactly

blueshoes · 16/12/2008 11:33

Prescription glasses cost a lot in the UK.

I used to use an opticians in Singapore when I lived there and they know me very well. I got an optician in UK to update my prescription, sent it to the Singapore opticians, opted for simple rimless plastic light glasses which would have been quite expensive in the UK. Singapore opticians did it up and posted it back to me.

Did not cost me much more than £100.

Santaslittlehelpersmum · 16/12/2008 11:35

I am completely blind my eyes are 5.25 and 5.10 so I have to have mine thinned down I went to Tesos you get a free eye test I paid £170 for two pairs one pair with storm frame (£89 bracket) thinned down lenses and the anit glare was free the second pair was also from the £89 range but I got them free but I went for tinted lenses so paid £25 for the tint! bargain as my last pair was about £300 from an independant - you can also buy Tescos glasses online

IdrisTheDragon · 16/12/2008 11:41

I might go to Tesco...

georgiemum · 16/12/2008 11:45

my sister spent over £600 nn her last pair. she is as blind as a bat in one eye so needs special lenses so that it doesn't look like one lens is a beer glass.