Saving Money on Your Sight

 

My son has been wearing glasses for over 10 years now. Thankfully, in the UK, children get their dental, optical and medical services taken care of for free. I’m grateful for the system which lets those who work, pay into the tax pot which allows everyone’s kids to benefit. I know that if we had to pay upfront for these services, a lot of folks would suffer because they wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for it.

My son did make me lose a lot of money a few years ago though, You see, he was at the age where he thought his glasses look weren’t cool enough. So off we went to try out for contact lenses. We made at least three trips where he had his vision tested, lenses fitted by the optician, my son practising to put them in and retrieve them himself etc. Then he finally agreed that he wanted them. We ordered enough of the lenses and solution for three months. He didn’t wear them. I think he found it too inconvenient to keep putting them in and taking them out. The glasses proved to be more convenient in the end.

Glasses and contact lenses can be a big expense for those with sight problems. Fortunately, there are ways to save money on your sight. There are just a few tricks to consider and also ways you can itemise your medical expenses on your taxes.

 

Shop for promotions

 

There are lots of promotions out there to take advantage of if you’re willing to shop around. Some companies may run trial offers on contact lenses, which could save you a lot of money initially. There are also online coupon sites like Groupon which can offer some great discounts on corrective eyewear. On top of this, high street opticians may have limited deals on to consider such as buying a pair and getting another half price.

 

Use online opticians

 

I recently found out that by and large, online opticians are cheaper for buying glasses and contact lenses from than your high street opticians. Sites like Glasses 2 You could be excellent for grabbing a great offer. You can take online eye tests on some sites too, but be wary of these as they’re not likely to be as effective as a regular eye test in store.

 

Keep the same frames/lenses

 

If your prescription hasn’t changed but you want a new pair of glasses, you could consider keeping your old lenses and buying a new frame. This can be much cheaper than getting a new pair. Alternatively, if your prescription has changed but you want to keep your old frame, you can equally choose to do this as a way of saving money. If you have frames that you no longer use, consider checking to see whether there is a charity which collects them for delivery to third world countries. I remember several years ago we donated some.

Bulk buy contact lenses

 

When it comes to contact lenses, you don’t want to be going to the store every time a box of lenses runs out. Bulk buying lots of boxes of lenses could allow you to take less frequent trips to your optician (even better you can order them to your address so that you don’t have to pick them up). On top of this, it can often work out much cheaper overall, and also more convenient to you.

 

Keep your glasses safe

Whilst this one’s a bit general, it will save you a lot of money if you’re the type of person that’s forever having to replace glasses that have been lost or damaged. Keep your glasses in a case and place this in a pocket or compartment that it won’t fall out of. You could even put your glasses on a string or chain around your neck if you’re forever losing them. If your glasses are loose, try to get them fixed up quickly. This may be a simple DIY task of tightening them up with a screwdriver. Loose glasses could fall off and be more prone to getting damaged or lost. If you do sports, there are special sports glasses out there to consider which fit the shape of your head and can’t be knocked off easily. Alternatively, you could always switch to contacts.

Be mindful of the need to be frugal with your spending so if there are ways that you can save money on taking care of your sight, you’ll be well advised to do so.

Finally, remember to enjoy the sunshine but do take care of your eyes and skin while you do so. Wear specially tinted glasses which will protect your eyes and cost you less in the long run.

Your sight is a valuable sense but don’t let it cost more than it needs to.

This post was proofread by Grammarly