How to Save Money on New Glasses and Contacts ? Aisen ...

People often experience sticker shock when they begin to shop for a new pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses.? A new designer pair of glasses can cost several hundred dollars, and that price is after the cost of an eye doctor appointment.? With a few techniques, however, the savvy shopper can drastically reduce the cost of a new pair of lenses, whether they are glasses or contacts.

Pay with an HSA or FSA
Both glasses and contact lenses can be paid for from either a health savings account (HSA) or flexible savings account (FSA).? Paying with savings from either of these accounts will not reduce the price of new eyewear, but they will reduce one?s spring tax bill.? Many people look for glasses or contacts in December, when they are trying to use up the funds in their HSA or FSA.?

Of course, this first tip is specifically for people living in the United States, as people in other countries will have different insurance situations.? Everyone should ask their insurance company to pay for the contacts or glasses, provided they have vision insurance, and it is covered in their policy.

Replace the Lenses Only
Often, the main cost of designer glasses is the frames.? If one?s frames are still intact, but one?s prescription has changed, then only new lenses need to be purchased.? These will have to be bought at either a glasses store or doctor?s office, where the lenses can be installed in the frames.?

Unfortunately, this is rarely an option for children?s glasses, as children frequently bend their frames.? Parents are lucky if their kids manage to go a year without significantly bending their frames or scratching their lenses.? This is why many parents purchase cheaper, durable frames and lenses as a package for their children.

Purchase Glasses or Contacts Online
For those who are willing to assume a little risk, great savings can be found online.? The prices at online eyewear sites are often lower than those at local stores, and they are almost always well below the prices at an ophthalmologist?s office.? People must still have a prescription from an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

The biggest risk when purchasing glasses online is the frame?s fit.? This is not a problem for contact wearers, as the fit is included in the prescription.? There are tools to measure one?s pupil distance (PD) online, as well as to take the other pertinent measurements for a pair of glasses.? Wearers must make these on their own however, and they cannot check the fit before purchasing glasses online.

Use Vision Insurance
In a world where health insurance is no longer a standard benefit, many people do not have vision insurance.? Nevertheless, those that do should take advantage of it.? One?s insurance might pay for a portion of the cost, or the entire cost, or a new pair of contacts or glasses.? Middle-aged adults rarely have their vision change, so some people pay for insurance until they have new glasses and then cancel it the next year.

?Buy Contacts in Bulk

As with most non-perishable goods, contacts are cheaper when purchased in bulk.? (Note: contacts eventually do perish; they have an expiration date).? A ?bulk??contact purchase is generally a six-month supply, although discounts may be offered on lower quantities.

With these tips and a little research, people can significantly reduce the cost of new contacts or glasses.? What might initially be a several-hundred dollar price can be cut in half or more.

Jamie Lechler writes for EZContactsUSA, which has a pupil measurement tool.

Source: http://aisen.org/how-to-save-money-on-new-glasses-and-contacts/

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