Eye Exam???

[SewCrafty]

I just had to make an eye exam. First let me say that I have gone the 'frugal way', last exam and glasses I got at Sears Optical, not going that route again. I'm not saying they are bad, pretty good deals if you only wear single vision lenses, but I am looking at tri-focals this time around.

Right now I wear bi-focals and while not the worst pair of glasses I have ever had, definitely not the best either. The best pair I ever had was through an ophthalmologist.

Okay called and made the appt. today, gal said it will be $135 for the exam! Can't wait to see the price on glasses. The last time I saw him over 15 years ago, my glasses were over $420+

No heath insurance doesn't cover vision any more and isn't worth adding it on.

If you or your family need new glasses this is generally the best time of year to get them with back to school sales. What is everyone else paying for this service???

[Saule]

I go to an opthamologist for eye exams because of some family history with eye problems. But I got my last pair of glasses - bifocals - at Visionworks. I have been happy with them, and I could afford to get two different styles of glasses. Paid less for two pairs than I did for one at For Eyes.

[frugalwarrior2]

We have vision ins. but DH is blind in one eye,needs gradient bi-focals,photo grey or tinted likes and to get them heat treated. Oh and he insists on the flex lenses. So about $280. after ins. plus the $10. diff on the exam.
Ds-$10. exam,$88. for the diff for breakage ins.
DD-has issues and hers is under medical so $45. co-pay and who knows after that.
FW-just got over diabetic numbers and I can't go until an all clear after 3 months. So I am sufficing w/ readers from Costco $20/4pk. sigh.

You can get your exam anywhere. Check out Costco on a day pass (free) and see what they offer. You may save enough for a membership??

[Neeley]

We only see an ophthalmologist. My mom has worked for our ophthalmologist since I was 18 months old.

We all get yearly eye exams, but we get his immediate family rate. He charges our insurance and whatever insurance covers he takes, what it doesn't he writes off. We're not out of pocket anything. I believe insurance pays him $70 per exam and our co-pay (if he didn't write it off) would be $50. Making an eye exam $120.

I love designer eye glasses. I currently have what I call my "Sarah Palin's" because they are the same ones she wears. If I did not have insurance and I did not get a huge discount, they would have cost me right at $900. But, after my insurance and discount I paid less than $100.

DD has a pair of Coach glasses that would have been $600 and a pair of some funky looking purple framed things @ $500. DS has two pair of Sean John's at $450 each and a pair of Nike prescription sunglasses @ $375. I also have a pair of Coach prescription sunglasses @ $500 But again, we paid less than $100 per pair. Our insurance pays for poly-carb lenses (which are a better lens) so we go ahead and get that. It does cost a little more than a regular lens, but they last without getting scratched up or broken when the kids play their sports.

The optical shop in my mom's office offers an automatic 25% discount to all patients of the doctors that work in that group. People who just walk in off of the street to get glasses from them do not get the discount.

I haven't noticed a difference in the cost and we all go at various times of year. I get my exam in October, DD in January, DS and my niece in July and DH whenever I can drag his booty in there.

[Nana2two]

Hubby and i went today also both need bifocals. Insurance paid 100% for both of us but if want proggressive ones with nolines like it would have been $800 for the 2 of.. Said nope sticking with the one thats payed for.

[many houseapes]

I wear no line biofocals. I paid 168 for 2 complete pairs at eye mart. Don't let them bully you into poly-whatever lenses...they are about $100 more! Grr. I have been very happy w/ my plastic lenses & was very stubborn when the sales lady tried to sucker me into buying the poly stuff. Just a heads up This getting older is for the birds anyway!Lol

[imagine]

Our eye exams are $100

Little Miss's needed new lenses so that was an additional $106.

She tends to need new frames about every other year or so. Hubby tends to keep his for several years. We found the more durable pairs were best so a few hundred dollars each frame when needed. there is a 10% off if you pay before they order instead of paying after they order them.

[SewCrafty]

Thank you everyone for replying. So while $135 is on the high side for an exam, not overly extreme.

I do wear no-lines and ultra thin poly whatever they are called, if I didn't I would be wearing coke bottles. While I wore those for years before the thinner lenses came out, the problem is my glasses are a part of me, I have them on 16-18 hours a day and thick lenses are heavy! I also get the anti-scratch and anti-glare coatings as well.

No Vision Works or Cosco here but we do belong to Sam's Club, I'll check them out.

Thanks again for responding.

Dee

[imagine]

Thank you everyone for replying. So while $135 is on the high side for an exam, not overly extreme.

I do wear no-lines and ultra thin poly whatever they are called, if I didn't I would be wearing coke bottles. While I wore those for years before the thinner lenses came out, the problem is my glasses are a part of me, I have them on 16-18 hours a day and thick lenses are heavy! I also get the anti-scratch and anti-glare coatings as well.

No Vision Works or Cosco here but we do belong to Sam's Club, I'll check them out.

Thanks again for responding.

Dee

Your going to an ophthalmologist, right? That would make the $135 not so bad priced. My $100 was for an appointment with an optometrist.

[Contrary Housewife]

I pay $148 out of pocket for my eye exam, and I have to go twice a year due to my arthritis. This last exam was $279 because of a special test I have to have every so often. So I look at $135 as pretty good if you can get it.

DH went to Sears Optical last time and it was about $100 or less and he had them write out his prescription and he bought his glasses online pretty cheap (he has bifocals). Unlike a regular doctor's office, most places don't want you to know you can get your prescription and go buy frames and lenses elsewhere. In fact, some places will refuse to write it for you because they want the sale on the glasses. DH looked around and the places in the mall were the most uncooperative.

[shoiji]

I started going to America's Best. Was wearing no-line bifocals and switched to contacts. Seems I just need regular contacts now not the fancy bifocal contacts. So it ends out being cheaper with contacts. I also bought the three or five year x amount of exams package.

Since I now need to go in yearly to have my eyes checked since they are ever changing the contract works out well.

I would call around to different places to see where the best deal can be had.

I used to be a big Sears Optical fan until the price of no-line bifocals went up.

Good luck.

[Missy]

I can't see so well anymore with my glasses (I can see better without them it seems)although it's poor without as well. I haven't gotten in for over five years. I really need to go in. So I think I will be going to Costco or vision works.

[Rhayne]

I don't have numbers on the top of my head right now but the two best places I ever went for glasses/contacts were Lens Crafters and Walmart Optical. They both had excellent prices and I felt like I was taken care of completely. I've been to several other places including eye doctors and didn't get the same treatment.

[Momto5RN]

go to walmart .
i get back up glasses from zennioptical.com online
before i went into bifocals i could get a back up pair for under 20$
you need to know your RX and your pupil measurements

i use an old pair i liek to figure out the lens size etc measurements of the pair i am ordering

[thriftyshopper]

There is also a site called Eye Buy Direct that has cheap trifocals.