Glasses are one of those things we all have to spend money on and it can be hard to save money on.  The good news is easier and easier to save money on your eye care.  Here are some tips to help you save on glasses, contacts, and eye exams.

How to Save on Glasses, Contacts & Eye Exams

1.  Shop around.

Call around and do your research before you make an appointment.  I wanted to get an idea of how much a glasses exam would cost with no eye insurance, so I called a few different places.  I called a chain (LensCrafters), Costco and a local office.  I expected the local offices to have the best price, but it turned out Costco was cheapest. Note that Costco prices vary by location–you’ll pay more for an exam in a larger city.

-Local Office 1: $129
-LensCrafters:  $120
-Costco:  $85

You don’t need to be a member at warehouse stores to use their optical centers.  Simply let the gatekeepers know you’re going to the optical center.

2.  Customize your appointment.

Sometimes you might not need an entire work up at the eye doctor, dilation and all.  Check with your doctor at the beginning of the appointment and see if you can customize your appointment to save a little money.  Also make sure you study your vision insurance to know what all is covered for your appointment.

Another tip is that you have a medical condition related to your vision, you can often get your health insurance to cover the cost of the exam by going to an ophthalmologist for your exam.

3.  Free infant eye exams.

Doctors recommend scheduling your baby’s first eye appointment at six months.  On top of all of the other baby expenses, an eye appointment at 6 months can be a huge hit.  There’s a program called InfantSEE which puts you in touch with participating optometrists in your area who will provide free a comprehensive eye assessment between 6 and 9 months of age.

4.  Reuse your frames.

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