As one of the 45 million Americans who wears contact lenses, I’ve spent a lot of money on vision correction over the years. Unfortunately, I never really considered I might be overspending. Instead of shopping around for contacts, I simply ordered and re-ordered lenses from my optometrist’s office whenever I needed them without any regard to the price. I just figured it was the easiest and most practical option. And besides, how much would I even save by buying them elsewhere? A few dollars, maybe?
How about $70 per year?
I typically go through four boxes per year (two boxes per eye, to be specific) and my optometrist charges $50 per box or $200 for a one-year supply, which I paid for out of my Health Savings Account. Recently, I decided to shop around for a better price and I was able to purchase the same lenses for $32.46 per box. That comes out to only $129.84 for a one-year supply. Wow — I just saved $70.16! That’s money to put toward new frames, prescription sunglasses, or other medical expenses. Lesson learned.
The cost of glasses can also put a serious dent in your budget if you are among the 159.2 million Americans who wear them. According to VSP, one of the nation’s largest provider of vision benefits, the average out-of-pocket cost for lenses and frames together is $541. And that can be even higher, depending on where you shop (think $400 and beyond for frames alone at independent optical shops). Add in premium features like anti-scratch coating or photochromic lenses and, before you know it, you’ve spent $600 or more on one new pair of glasses. Chances are your vision benefits will only cover a small portion of that price. My plan, for example, contributes just $119 toward the most basic of lenses plus $130 toward frames — and this is even with my $25 co-pay!
Here’s how I saved 35% on a year’s supply of lenses. After checking the optometrist’s price, I comparison shopped online. First, I checked out 1-800 CONTACTS. Their initial price was virtually the same as the optometrist’s, but they did offer me a 17 percent new customer discount and free shipping. Other perks, which I didn’t take advantage of but made note of for the future, included a 5 percent subscribe-and-save discount and manufacturer rebates. Cost per box: $41.49.
Next, I shopped a few other online sellers. Some had better prices on lenses, but shipping wasn’t free and they didn’t offer any additional promos or discounts. I also checked a few national retailers, like Walgreens. Walgreens had a 20 percent off deal going plus free shipping. Cost per box: $39.19
Finally, I looked into Costco prices. This was the best deal — $33.12 per box and free shipping. I placed my order, but then I realized that 1-800-Contacts beats competitor pricing by two percent as long as it can be verified. I cancelled the Costco order, and went with 1-800-Contacts at $32.46 per box ($9.03 less than the original quote). I also vowed to never take the easy way out of buying contacts again. Shopping around was worth it.
Here are five tips for finding the best deals on contact lenses and glasses:
Dawn Weinberger is a freelance writer in Portland, OR.
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