Contacts or Glasses [Which is cheaper?]

**Clutterbug Jen** · 03-30-2008, 01:10 PM

I have an eye doctors appointment the 22nd of April and know I'm going to end up having to either get contacts or glasses.

Last year I got a prescription for bi-focal glasses but didn't end up getting it filled [I managed to get one more year out of my over-the-counter reading glasses].

Can't get away with that any longer though.

Since it seems my eyes are changing, I'd hate to pay $200.00 + for glasses just to have to possibly buy another pair next year [it seems it'd be more expensive this way instead of just buying contacts?]

I've been thinking seriously about getting contacts but would like to know the following:

- Which would be cheaper in the long run, contacts or bi-focal glasses?

- Would Walmart online [47 cents shipping] be the cheapest place to buy them from?

- Would the daily contacts end up being more expensive in the long run, rather than buying the kind with 6 in a box that can be worn for longer?

- Though I know it isn't recommended, if I bought daily ones - could they be worn 2 or 3 days if taken out every night which basically would stretch a box for 2 to 3 times longer?

- Are bi-focal contacts more expensive than the regular ones?

I hope these aren't stupid questions but I'd like to be educated as much as possible when going in so I can get the best deal, etc.

Thanks for any help with this!

~*Jen*~

**elphaba** · 03-30-2008, 02:23 PM

I've been thinking seriously about getting contacts but would like to know the following:

- Which would be cheaper in the long run, contacts or bi-focal glasses? Depends on the prescription.
Most likely you will need glasses in addition to contacts...otherwise how will you see when not wearing the contacts?

- Would Walmart online [47 cents shipping] be the cheapest place to buy them from?
No Walmart is in fact NOT always cheaper. Places like Visiondirect, 1-800contacts, aclens etc usually are cheaper than Walmart and offer free shipping. Often they also offer rebates.

- Would the daily contacts end up being more expensive in the long run, rather than buying the kind with 6 in a box that can be worn for longer? Depends...I wear contacts and glasses. I wear my glasses at home and my contacts when I go out...so I don't use them all the time. I have daily wear lenses...I like the fact that I can throw them out wherever I am. (I'm on the road alot in the summer)

- Though I know it isn't recommended, if I bought daily ones - could they be worn 2 or 3 days if taken out every night which basically would stretch a box for 2 to 3 times longer?
big no no...I used to work for an eye doctor as a contact lens fitting specialist and this is NOT recommended. I know people do it but is it really worth a saving around a $1 to jeopardizing your eye health? Also the dailies tend to tear easier so keeping them 2-3 days would be difficult.

- Are bi-focal contacts more expensive than the regular ones?
yes
best thing to do IMHO is get regular distance contacts and wear reading glasses. Most reading issues can be corrected with simple drug store reading glasses. But that is personal preference..I may try the bifocal contacts when I go for my visit in December.

I hope these aren't stupid questions but I'd like to be educated as much as possible when going in so I can get the best deal, etc.
Not stupid at all...It's good you want to find out more before jumping in!!
Good Luck!

Tamara

**wanderlusting** · 03-30-2008, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by elphaba

I've been thinking seriously about getting contacts but would like to know the following:
[I]

- Though I know it isn't recommended, if I bought daily ones - could they be worn 2 or 3 days if taken out every night which basically would stretch a box for 2 to 3 times longer?
big no no...I used to work for an eye doctor as a contact lens fitting specialist and this is NOT recommended. I know people do it but is it really worth a saving around a $1 to jeopardizing your eye health? Also the dailies tend to tear easier so keeping them 2-3 days would be difficult.

ITA! I was a broke college student and decided to wear my one-a-days for a few days a pop and for longer than recommended (14+hours at a time). BIG mistake! I ended up with an eye infection and had to use $70 eye drops

**mombottoo** · 03-30-2008, 03:06 PM

I personally like my glasses...no line bifocals, put them on when I need them, take them off when I don't. I can't imagine having anything stuck in my eyes...makes me squeamish.

I really believe that glasses are cheaper over the long haul.

**guest002** · 03-30-2008, 07:32 PM

Glasses...

**Telephus44** · 03-30-2008, 08:45 PM

I wore glasses and contacts, and glasses are definitely cheaper. If you're really concerned about cost, pick cheap frames - and if you need the prescription updated in a year or so, you can have them just make new lenses and re-use the frames. In addition to Walmart/Cosco, check out Lense Crafters and Pearle Vision - I know that they have a bigger sticker price, but one of them gives a 30% AAA discount, and they run coupons and specials often - you may also get a discount from your health insurance.

Contacts can be worth it, but they are more expensive. I had the kind that last two months, and found that I could wear them three months comfortably, and I had one pair I stretched to four months but I wouldn't recommend it (I was in college and couldn't get back to my eye doctor at the time). Also, if you've never worn them before, you may not be able to wear dailies, or whatever - they have different kinds for different types of eyes. My eyes are on the dry side, so I switched brands and types a few times before giving up on them altogether.

**zazenist** · 03-30-2008, 08:45 PM

I have to second (or third!) the vote for glasses. I've worn them for 27 years and I've been very happy with them. Having never worn contacts, I can't really say anything about the cost there, but my insurance pays for one vision health exam per year, and I usually need to change the lenses in my glasses every couple of years at a cost of about $100. Same with my prescription sunnies. I have worn the same frames for years, and will only replace them when it becomes necessary. I take good care of them. So I can't imagine that I'm not saving a ton of money over what people pay for contacts. Plus, I like the convenience of glasses - on, off. Pretty simple! I also like the fact that unlike with contacts, I'm not generating a whole bunch of disposable trash with my glasses. And when I do get rid of a pair if frames, I donate them to the Lions Club, which gives them to the needy. Works for me!

**PplAmanda** · 03-30-2008, 11:38 PM

For me, glasses were cheaper. My vision insurance paid 100% for my glasses.
I tried contacts for a while and loved not having to wear glasses. We play raquetball a few times a week and having glasses can be a safety issues without proper goggles to fit over them.
On the flip side, I also swim several days a week and taking contacts out and back in at the gym got to be a pain.
I only wore contact in one eye, so I would get twice the go from one box.
You may want to do a trail run with contacts to see how you like them.
I plan on getting my Rx for contacts and glasses again this month. Keep in mind the Rx for contacts expire at one year, so if you have scheduling issues getting back in time, you could be stuck with nothing if you don't have a backup pair of glasses.

**Clutterbug Jen** · 03-31-2008, 12:22 AM

Thanks everybody for the help!

Still not sure what I'll end up doing but at least I'll have all of the pro's and con's, etc. before I go which definitely is a good thing.

Amanda, just curious about why you only wore a contact in one eye?

It just made me think that something like that might work for me if I could get a contact for distance and then just wear my reading glasses for, well ... for reading. *lol*

~*Jen*~

**schellie69** · 03-31-2008, 09:38 AM

I have worn contacts, for 16 years now, and I tried to go back to glasses I couldn't I buy the new hydra contacts and I have worn mine as long as 6 months before changing to a new pair, I take them out every few days and clean them and then put them in again in the morning I have a cleaner that is like peroxiced it starts out like a regular cleaner but 12 hours later is like the stuff that your contacts come in. I have found that in the long run contacts are cheaper then glasses, plus my eye doctor told me that wearing contacts actually slows down the rate that your eyes change, because the contacts set on your eyes your eyes do not have to work as hard as with glasses and they have all kinds of new contacts. the new hydray clear actually mositzers your eyes as you wear them. I would ask your eye doctor and try contacts for a year and see how they work for you, I have never had a problem wearing my contacts longer then they say, I saw a tv program and really all the contacts are the same except of the packaging (daily wear, weekly ect) they can be worn longer then they say because the daily throw away are the same as the ones you can wear for a month. and the contacts might slow down your eyes getting worse so that you might not have to change your script for two years, this happened both to myself and my son. our script stayed the same for 2 years. then when it did change it was only slightly. hope this made sense. good luck on your eye appt.

**Clutterbug Jen** · 03-31-2008, 10:16 AM

Pam, thanks for letting me know how the contacts work for you.

I've pretty much got my heart set on getting contacts and in order to stretch them to last longer,

What I may do is to wear them only a certain number of days per week and the other days, wear my reading glasses [over the counter.]

I can still see fine right now to read with my reading glasses so maybe I'll alternate between the two.

My main problem is that I have a hard time in seeing a short distance away if that makes any sense?

In other words, I can see pretty well at a far distance but my problem is really in between a short distance [for reading and needlework] and a far distance.

So, in other words - I really need something to be able to see across the room which reading glasses don't allow you to do.

I have another question now ...

If you wear contacts like for one day and then the next day you wear glasses,

can you put the contacts in some sort of solution so you can wear them again next time and if so, how long would you be able to keep them to wear them again?

Not sure if I worded that right [obviously I don't know much about contact care yet] but from what I've read, you do need to keep them in something when you're not wearing them, right?

Is there a set time that they can sit in the solution until you wear them again? [I know this sounds like a silly question but ... *lol*]

~*Jen*~

**elphaba** · 03-31-2008, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Clutterbug Jen

I have another question now ...

If you wear contacts like for one day and then the next day you wear glasses,

can you put the contacts in some sort of solution so you can wear them again next time and if so, how long would you be able to keep them to wear them again?

Not sure if I worded that right [obviously I don't know much about contact care yet] but from what I've read, you do need to keep them in something when you're not wearing them, right?

Is there a set time that they can sit in the solution until you wear them again? [I know this sounds like a silly question but ... *lol*]

~*Jen*~

No..not if they are daily wear disposable lenses.
If they are 2 week contacts then yes, you would have to store them in a contact lens case with solution. One of the reasons I went to dailies was the expense of the cleaning and storage solutions. I only need a small bottle to use with the dailes (if it should fall out or I can't get it in) and that lasts forever. It was also a PIA to have to clean and store them everynight...yes I've become lazy in my old age!
I have never had the 2 week or monthly kind but I have had regular non-disposable soft contacts (which BTW they are phasing out) and now wear dailies. I imagine they can be stored in the solution for as long as it takes you to wear them the 14 days...provided you check the solution periodically and make sure the lenses haven't dried up. You can wear the 2 week lenses for 14 consecutive days or for 14 off and on days....just as long as you replace them after those 14 days. KWIM? Maybe someone who wears the 2 week or monthlies can answer this better.
Tamara

**Clutterbug Jen** · 03-31-2008, 10:46 AM

Tamara, thanks so much for the info. on this [obviously I have a lot to learn yet about this].

~*Jen*~

**Michelle** · 03-31-2008, 11:28 AM

I think glasses would be cheaper in just about any situation. But then again, maybe I'm thinking only of my situation and not considering all the variables.

I too only wear one contact lens in my left eye (the vision in my right eye is so poor that even the strongest prescription won't help, so there's no point).

I pay $44/yr for my lenses, but that doesn't include the solution, which is about $7/bottle. I'm not sure how often I buy a new bottle; I should check that to get a more accurate picture of things.

I bought my glasses at www.39dollarglasses.com and was very pleased with them. Not all glasses are $39--depends on the prescription and if one needs something out of the ordinary. For example, my dd's glasses' prescription is really strong and out of the range that 39dollarglasses deals with and costs $79. That includes the frames. I bought her very first pair at the eye dr's and spent almost $300.

Anyway, you can see in my situation that just wearing glasses would be much cheaper for me since my glasses alone cost less than the contacts, without even factoring in the contact lens solution.

**frugalfriend** · 03-31-2008, 11:55 AM

I LOVE my contacts! I wear the regular ones (NOT disposables) and they last a very long time, and are not expensive (about $15. each contact). I take them out every night and soak them/clean them. Then wear glasses in the early morning until I put my contacts in and sometimes when my eyes are tired in the evening. I would highly recommend getting both if you can.