When are the best deals on prescription glasses?

NinaBella

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 14, 2013
My DS has "no idea" where his glasses are and "hasn't seen them in months" LOL. I think he took them on his trip to Austin over the summer and must have left them at the hotel or somewhere cause I haven't seen them since his trip. He has contacts but he doesn't wear glasses or contacts everyday. The brand his was I think was Nike.

My DD glasses are just getting old. I think two or three years old. We bought them when oversize was the trend and they are not oversize anymore. LOL. She has grown a lot. She wears contacts every day. Usually just wears glasses when she is lounging around the house. She currently has are Dolce & Gabbana.

My glasses are a few years old but I only wear them to see distance which usually means just driving, and mostly driving in places I am not familiar with.

So, we need two pairs of glasses. We typically shop at Visionworks or Lenscrafters. Our Visionworks seems to have the best selection from places I have browsed in the past. Usually in August I see a good sale like "buy one get one."

So I am not in a hurry, so thought I would ask what time of year and what type of deals you typically see? I would love a buy one get one deal. I would buy DD a pair and get DS free (cause hers typically would cost more).

I am looking for more brand name glasses, not the wholesale glasses. I know some of my coworkers have recommended really cheap inexpensive places in town but are not places I typically shop since we are shopping for style as well (this coworker and her kids glasses are not what I would want although she can get three pair for under $100). I know sounds snobby, but I want glasses my kids feel comfortable in wearing to school and are in line with current trends... not just the absolutely cheapest dirt bottom functional pair.
 
My DS has "no idea" where his glasses are and "hasn't seen them in months" LOL. I think he took them on his trip to Austin over the summer and must have left them at the hotel or somewhere cause I haven't seen them since his trip. He has contacts but he doesn't wear glasses or contacts everyday. The brand his was I think was Nike.

My DD glasses are just getting old. I think two or three years old. We bought them when oversize was the trend and they are not oversize anymore. LOL. She has grown a lot. She wears contacts every day. Usually just wears glasses when she is lounging around the house. She currently has are Dolce & Gabbana.

My glasses are a few years old but I only wear them to see distance which usually means just driving, and mostly driving in places I am not familiar with.

So, we need two pairs of glasses. We typically shop at Visionworks or Lenscrafters. Our Visionworks seems to have the best selection from places I have browsed in the past. Usually in August I see a good sale like "buy one get one."

So I am not in a hurry, so thought I would ask what time of year and what type of deals you typically see? I would love a buy one get one deal. I would buy DD a pair and get DS free (cause hers typically would cost more).

I am looking for more brand name glasses, not the wholesale glasses. I know some of my coworkers have recommended really cheap inexpensive places in town but are not places I typically shop since we are shopping for style as well (this coworker and her kids glasses are not what I would want although she can get three pair for under $100). I know sounds snobby, but I want glasses my kids feel comfortable in wearing to school and are in line with current trends... not just the absolutely cheapest dirt bottom functional pair.

BOGOs are usually for the same script...so, I'm not sure you could "share" over 2 kids...

Best deals are back to school times...but I don't follow them too much b/c I also get my kids "whatever they want to wear" glasses...and I use insurance and a health savings account so I don't feel the pain (and to be fair, mine, with the highest end non-covered lenses, are always the priciest - I drop $700 for my glasses, and that's my one practically full price expense that is worth every penny - insurance does give me a big deal on the frames, so it'd be probably $900+ without it, since it's $650 just for my lenses and then the rest...:)) I do get 2 years out of them, so I consider it a $1/day to have no headaches, no glare, and great vision (that also looks really good b/c I have no coke bottles b/c the lenses are designed to be the thinnest anywhere)...
 
BOGOs are usually for the same script...so, I'm not sure you could "share" over 2 kids...

Best deals are back to school times...but I don't follow them too much b/c I also get my kids "whatever they want to wear" glasses...and I use insurance and a health savings account so I don't feel the pain (and to be fair, mine, with the highest end non-covered lenses, are always the priciest - I drop $700 for my glasses, and that's my one practically full price expense that is worth every penny - insurance does give me a big deal on the frames, so it'd be probably $900+ without it, since it's $650 just for my lenses and then the rest...:)) I do get 2 years out of them, so I consider it a $1/day to have no headaches, no glare, and great vision (that also looks really good b/c I have no coke bottles b/c the lenses are designed to be the thinnest anywhere)...

They let us share. I have done the BOGO in August in the past. In fact, my glasses, I got my DS (age 25) his pair free. The lost Nike pair of DS (age 15) was a free pair under BOGO. DH vision that comes with his dental plan is a discount program and in the past have been told the military discount or BOGO or whatever sale they had was better than the discount. My employer offers vision and I hear it's good, but I just don't subscribe to any health benefits with my employer. I have Tricare Prime as a retired veteran for health. My kids do prefer over glasses too.

I can't say much about how much I pay for kids glasses, I have prescription Tiffany aviator sunglasses. LOL. I haven't worn contacts since I had PRK surgery with the military and don't care to wear contacts again. I didn't need glasses/contacts at all for many years after the eye surgery which was great. My eyesight is no where near as bad as it was before surgery. I just have a very light prescription for distances now.

Out of the six of us, DS (age 23) is the only one that does not need glasses/contacts. DH just got a new pair in 2017, so he is good for a while.
 
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Never gotten a deal on glasses. I did buy a pair years ago from one of the discount opticians and I couldn't wear them. They just weren't right, and the store checked them and said they were my prescription so there was nothing they could do.
A pair of glasses before I got vision insurance cost $400. When I got vision insurance, I had to go to certain dispensing opticians to get glasses and it was a huge production as they showed me what the retail price was for the frames, and lenses, and coatings, and that my insurance was saving me this much money. Funny thing was, a $400 pair of glasses the year before without insurance, became an $800 pair of glasses a year later with insurance, and my out of pocket was $400.
 


Never gotten a deal on glasses. I did buy a pair years ago from one of the discount opticians and I couldn't wear them. They just weren't right, and the store checked them and said they were my prescription so there was nothing they could do.
A pair of glasses before I got vision insurance cost $400. When I got vision insurance, I had to go to certain dispensing opticians to get glasses and it was a huge production as they showed me what the retail price was for the frames, and lenses, and coatings, and that my insurance was saving me this much money. Funny thing was, a $400 pair of glasses the year before without insurance, became an $800 pair of glasses a year later with insurance, and my out of pocket was $400.


Haha....your experience was my experience as well.

But, had cataract surgery early this year - out of pocket with my health insurance cost me $20 - and now I buy the readers from Costco for $18. I have 20/20 distance vision. (Was not a candidate for the optional lens due to astigmatism) I'm happier than I've been in 60 years! So getting old isn't so bad after all!
 
Haha....your experience was my experience as well.

But, had cataract surgery early this year - out of pocket with my health insurance cost me $20 - and now I buy the readers from Costco for $18. I have 20/20 distance vision. (Was not a candidate for the optional lens due to astigmatism) I'm happier than I've been in 60 years! So getting old isn't so bad after all!
Yeah, my mom had cataract surgery in both eyes. But she didn't want to worry about carrying reading glasses, so she just had new lenses made for her old frames, no prescription in the top, reading correction on the bottom. I've worn glasses for 50 of my 60 years, if I ever need cataract surgery, I'd probably do the same thing.
 
Don't be afraid to consider the vision center in Walmart. They have 'real brands'. Your kids might find something they like, its certainly worth taking a look.

Other options: BJs and Costco (well, I know that BJs has the vision center, so I assume that some or most Costcos do as well)
 


If there's America's Best convenient to you, they're advertising two pairs for $69. If there's a SEE nearby, they have a $169 collection and a $39=$169 Groupon. Ebates has either a 20% discount or $20% cash back right now on loc
 
We've been buying glasses from Costco for years and are very happy with them, and the styles are modern enough that my teen and pre-teen like them.
 
I agree about Costco. I got a pair of Kate spade last year that I like. They were a pair they didn't have on display but pulled out because nothing out was the size lease I wanted\looked good.
 

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