Eversince I realised that I was shortsighted in high school, a trip to the optometrist or opthalmologist has been part of my life routine. I started with glasses, of course, and ended up wearing contact lenses. I started with a low prescription but somehow it got higher when I was wearing glasses. After I switched to contacts, not only did the prescription stayed at one level (as it is now) but also it was easier to move about. The only other bothersome aspect of it is replenishing my supply of contact lens for the next 6 months to a year. I always had to go to the optician to have my eyes checked and in turn get a new set. When I moved to the UK, I signed up for a service with a local optician where I pay £15 monthly and they deliver a new supply every quarter. It was great as I don’t have to go get the lenses myself but it was really getting expensive. I was spending £180 a year!
Now, with the advent of the internet, things are a lot easier. One can now order contact lens online. Sites like Lens Catalogue have made it easier by allowing you to simply enter your prescription on their website and have the lenses delivered directly to your door. In this way, you can view the different brands (like Acuvue, Bausch & Lomb, Cooper Vision, etc.) and choose the best “normally the cheapest” price possible. They also offer free packing and postage for orders over £60. Other services on the site include:
- Re-orders – no need to fill in another order form, with one click, have the same set delivered again to you
- Shipping & Tracking – see the status of your order
- Accessories – order solutions, cases and other supplements
Of course, you will need to have your prescription at hand. But wouldn’t it be nice if they could also give you the option to book with an eye doctor for a check? Or maybe even offer free eye check with some doctors that they have already made an arrangement with. Now, that would really be icing on the cake!
Anyhow, ordering contact lenses online has definitely given the likes of me a chance to really find the best deals and get great savings. Now, I will only pay £52 (plus p&p) for a year’s supply, that 70% savings!
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i know exactly what you mean… i’ve been wearing contacts since i was twelve. when we moved to the States shortly after, the opthalmologist told me i’m legally blind (my prescription was 7+ or grade 750 in Manila with severe astigmatism). a couple of years ago, i finally got the courage to have laser surgery and i now have 20/20 vision. hooray, no more fumbling for glasses when i wake up just to see the alarm clock. and no more contacts! so liberating!
incidentally, nearsightedness runs in my family. my younger sister’s eyes were 10+ or grade 1000 also legally blind so she had to have corneal transplants then have laser surgery. she, too, now have 20/20 vision. sadly, it got passed to my 5-year old son who started wearing glasses at 15 months old!
maybe someday i’ll also get the same courage as you did, purplegirl, to undergo the laser surgery. i’ve been toying with the idea but still not convinced about some things.
I hardly wear contact lenses because I feel tired there after. But sometimes, I do.
(:
I hardly wear my contacts now because they’re not compatible with my activities, i.e. heavy reading and computer use. However, I still want to have ‘frameless’ vision but like you don’t have the courage to have Lasik. I wonder if I should study the possibility seriously.