"My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle."
- Henny Youngman -
"'I see,' said the blind man."
Thank you, Grandpa, for that pithy saying...
When I was a child, instead of training me for good vision, my parents and my culture applied the "crutch" of eyeglasses... But I'll save that rant as a story for another time.
Yesterday, I read an article by my friend 
Waiting For New Glasses So I Can Throw Away This Broken Pair
If you don't now, or never have worn eyeglasses, I'd encourage you to read her article—if only as a means of developing some compassion and sympathy for those of us who live with "less than perfect" eyesight every day.
Seven dollar glasses? Seriously?
Image (cropped) courtesy of Mohammad Faruque and http://unsplash.com
Glasses have become a fashion statement.
The old saw goes "Girls seldom make passes at guys who wear glasses." However, the fancy frames and brand names available today, and the relentless image-oriented advertising by companies like Calvin Klein have put the lie to that saying. Just to list a few of the "frames of fame" touted by a major purveyor of eyeglasses:
- Ray-Ban.
- Oakley.
- Coach.
- Michael Kors.
- Burberry.
- Ralph Lauren.
- Armani Exchange.
When I walk into local optometrist shops, I'm blown away seeing walls covered with endless arrays of high-priced, high-fashion eyewear.
Eyeglasses: some of the highest mark-up items in the world.
Image courtesy of Scott Van Daalen and http://unsplash.com
"But, sir! I don't need another car payment..."
That's my typical reaction to the sticker shock when I see the price of a pair of glasses, even at "bargain stores" like Walmart.
Time and aging wait for no man.
I (so far) refuse to wear bifocals or graduated lenses, so I actually have three pairs of glasses - one I use for driving, one for "general use," and one for close-up or computer work.
And I have a "backup set" for all three.
Trifocals? Or Three pair?
Original image by 
HOW CAN I AFFORD THIS?
Each complete set of three pairs of glasses cost me less than $30, delivered.
For the last five years, I have been buying my eyeglasses online. They are custom sized to fit my face, they match my prescription, and they arrive within two weeks of my order.
My secret is ZENNI OPTICAL ®, INC., where I can get a good pair of glasses—both frame and lens—for $7. Yes, that's right. That is not a typo... SEVEN DOLLARS.
Actually, I lied. They're not really seven dollars.
The list price is $6.95 per pair.
For example, check out my computer/reading/near-field glasses.
They are very light weight, comfortable, and durable. I wear them pretty much all the time.
I bought my first set from Zenni five years ago, and I couldn't be happier. I'm still wearing them.
My set of test lenses...
Original image by
Prices are so low,
rather than going to see an optometrist for a fitting, I first bought four pair of glasses with lens strengths beginning at -1.25 and increasing by 1/4 diopter steps through 2.75. That made it easy for me to check my own vision and decide what the final prescription(s) ought to be.
I never buy the upgrades—partially because I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Mr. Frugal, and partly because I really don't consider them particularly useful.
Although I don't go for any of the "extras," they are available from Zenni as upgrades, and you can expect to pay premium prices.
I just get the least expensive frames and lenses. The "plain" lenses are made of very durable, scratch-resistant plastic with a great refractive index (i.e. they are thin and light).
TIP: When ordering,
Zenni even offers a free upgrade in some cases from 1.50 (standard refractive index) lenses to a 1.57 (mid-index) lens that has the added advantage of greater UV (ultraviolet) light filtering, as well as being slightly thinner and lighter.
There is even one very reasonable upgrade option to a 1.59 index polycarbonate lens that has superior impact resistance. However, for the cost of the upgrade, my personal tendency is to simply by a spare pair.
All of their lenses come with an anti-scratch hard coating.
Calvin Klein for $200 or more? or Zenni for $6.95?
Image courtesy of Scott Van Daalen and http://unsplash.com
Are these insanely low prices still good?
Yes, indeed they are, at least on some available options.
These may be Zenni's "loss-leaders," but a frugal curmudgeon like myself can smell a loss leader miles away.
My computer/reading/near-field glasses are still $6.95.
My driving/movie-watching glasses are still $6.95.
Oops! They have raised the price on this fine pair of spring loaded stem eyeglasses—now a whopping $9.95—but I would buy them again even for three dollars more. They are sturdy and comfortable. No matter, I find that I tend to use this "middle" prescription less and less.
And so, my fellow blind Steemians:
Go forth, and check out the Zenni site.
And no, I have no affiliation with them... I'm just a happy customer.
Some of the highest mark-up items in the world.
Image courtesy of Scott Van Daalen and http://unsplash.com
This post is an OFFICIAL PORT on 
FIN
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I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about them all.
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