New glasses time ...

[scooperhsd]

For both of us.

Her - keep same frame, but they have to drill into the lenses

ME -
new glasses / frames
1 Pair progressive bifocals
1 pair tinted plain bifocal sunglasses

More important for me to get new pairs - I'm blind as a bat without glasses (20/200+ with astigmatism) - need backup glasses (old pairs) just in case.

You don't want to know how much......

[Fazer]

Zenni optical will save you loads.  I have been buying from them for several years.  You need your prescription that you enter on their site and will need your pupillary distance.  Have someone measure in mm the distance between your pupils.  You won't get same day, or even next day, more like 10 days, and yeah you are buying on line, but they are made in San Diego and you will save 75% over the same day places.

[F6Dave]

Last time I bought glasses from my opthalmologist's office I paid nearly $700 for a flimsy pair that broke within 2 years. I tried Zenni and got far better glasses for less than $150. I've used them three times since then and haven't been disappointed.

[Jack B]

Costco is another great place to buy your glasses it more than pays for the membership.

[cagrote]

Costco is another great place to buy your glasses it more than pays for the membership.
[/q
Costco is where I like to go.  All my kids wear glasses, beat price and quality I could find.

[Jess from VA]

I like to get a pair of clear Varilux (progressive lenses) all purpose glasses, a pair of clear single vision glasses (distance only) (because I can't kick back in my recliner and watch TV and look through the top of my glasses, I get a stiff neck trying to), and a pair of dark polarized single vision (distance only) for driving and riding.  I can read all the street signs (and my dashboard) with distance lenses just fine, I just can't read the printed page without my progressives, and I rarely read a book driving/riding or wearing dark glasses.

I have mild nearsightedness, but pretty bad astigmatism. 

My last two pair were like 500% more expensive than all my other pairs. 

Beware of malls for eyeglasses.  Their astronomical rent results in astronomical prices for glasses.

[Oldfishguy]

Costco

[cookiedough]

now the decision to get metal or plastic frames?

am dreading the day eye dr. said I might need bi-focals as I get older into near age 60 or so.  He said is highly likely yes some day but not anytime soon.  My wife and me have the darn near exact same prescription hers just a smidge stronger than mine but can be interchangeable if need be like the few times I drive at night forgetting my night time regular non sunglass prescription pair I just put on my wifes regular glasses.   99.9 percent of the time I wear my prescription sunglasses unless after say 9 p.m. at night when it gets totally dark out.

[Jess from VA]

Cookie, most guys who need glasses will need bifocals long before 60.  I was about 54, and the eye doc said I was lucky.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I'm 46, and I've had progressive bifocals for 2 years or so. I've had distance glasses since my 20s, but over the last few years, reading started to become a problem. Took a bit to get used to them, but not too long. I, too, will no longer purchase glasses at the doctor's office anymore. This last time, after trying them on in the office, they didn't fit worth a damn when they came back with my lenses installed. They tried adjustments, but they still don't fit well. I asked about a different pair and was told no returns. They hadn't even left the office yet. The doctor is good, so I'll still go to see him. I can't hardly wait until my next exam for when they try to usher me in to the glasses display area. I will enjoy telling them that I'm buying my glasses and sunglasses online, and why. Sorry; y'all burned that bridge.

[scooperhsd]

You're lucky - I started wearing bifocals at 45 (been wearing glasses for nearsighted / astigmatism since 11).

The Dr's report - no signs of diabetic damage yet, retina photo was good ( nothing to be concerned about), glaucoma test well within norms, but showing first brown evidence of cataracts. All in all, not too bad for 59 and 1/2 years old. I did need a tweak on the bifocal (couldn't read the SMALLEST print anymore). There maybe a tweak on the distance as well.

I got new glasses (progressive for clear, straight bifocal for sunglasses) because I really need a backup pair of glasses, and the current ones are good enough to let me drive. I decided to pass on Transitions because they don't work in my cars anyway (UV protected glass). When I'm errand running, I hate having to change glasses so I can read something, so that's why I bifocal my sunglasses.

Cookie - that first time you wear progressive bifocals is an eyeopener. As a flyer I had acquired and continued the practice of "scanning" with my eyes while leaving my head stationary. First couple times I tried that - it was a bit startling to see things "jump" as I shifted through the bifocal zone. eventually, I got a pair of single vision glasses that were perfectly focused at the end of my hands, - 6 inches to +12 inches - right where I would place monitors (I did IT work and spent 8-10 hours a day staring at LCD displays). I wanted the single vision so I could see the entire display in focus  - which these glasses were perfect for. But I couldn't see well enough to drive in them (I tried it once by accident - not a pleasant experiance - I got home safely).

I need sunglasses because I'm SO SENSITIVE to bright light - I could drive on a cloudless fullmoon sky without my headlights (except so other people could see me). That may very well go down as the cataracts build up - then it will happen again when I get cataract surgery.

[Jess from VA]

Another thing for eyeglass wearers.

I've always been hard on my glasses, and I just hate getting a scratch right where my eyeball looks though them, and then living with it for years until the next new ones.

So for many years now, I keep a collection of my old glasses on top my basement fridge, and that's what I wear to go out and do physical labor outdoors.  My scripts have not changed all that much over the years, so they're not too bad, and give me no problems, but I'm happy to beat them up and not my new perfect ones.  I don't do reading with them, just work.  

[Oss]

One of the reasons I became a PC was to enable me to pay for my health care and the wife and Stacy off the top.  Providing for my family is job 1.   I have a client who is optician That also helps
But  eyes  oh my  sorry this is kinda long

Patch on good eye before I was even 3 yrs old for 6 months for ambliopia. Finally got glasses off at 13 then at 40 needed them
Detatched retinas, many many retinopathy leaks (cant see thru blood its like looking thru mud) you name it
Unsuccessful Eye laser caused a nice blind spot in my right eye cant read but can see peripherally and catch a fly in the air with that eye
Now a cataract in the left eye but not ripe yet.

was just about blind a few days before riding out to spearfish from prednisone reaction from poison ivy
but got enough back to ride with my wingman G   Was thinking of our good friend Misfit and his eyes and pushed to get myself on the bike.  It was a great trip     Wiggy (RIP) rode with me thru Needles highway when Psycho lent me his bike for the day,  Wont ever forget him for that or SAWB

So I just grin and bear it and pay the lady for the lenses.  It hurts but like many of you said, a 2nd pair is needed in case of emergency.

Get the scratch proof lenses and at 10 months get new pair for free when they get deep scratches

Take care of your eyes, cant ride without them

Now you know a reason why I ride slow when I dont know the road

[pais]

Such an appropriate post, timing is everything.
Started wearing glasses @ 10yo (nearsighted). Contacts @ 18(used HS Grad $$ to buy them). Lasik surgery @ 35(went from 20/200 vision to 20/20 vision). Presbyopia somewhere around 50(strategically placed readers). Now @ 58, the Lasik has lost its effectiveness. I don't mind the readers when I need them but these damn bi-focals are a PIA!

[G-Man]

For both of us.

Her - keep same frame, but they have to drill into the lenses

ME -
new glasses / frames
1 Pair progressive bifocals
1 pair tinted plain bifocal sunglasses

More important for me to get new pairs - I'm blind as a bat without glasses (20/200+ with astigmatism) - need backup glasses (old pairs) just in case.

You don't want to know how much......

I was WORSE than you.  Been wearing correction since 3-years-old.  Thick coke bottles when I was in middle school.  Started with contact lenses at 14.  The hard plastic disks that never stayed in your eyes.  Soft lenses at that time were no good due to increased astigmatism.  At one point, about 10 years later, I was wearing soft lenses for astigmatism, but still had to wear glasses over the lenses.

Then I developed a cataract and age 45.  Folks with myopia and astigmatism as bad as mine can get early cataracts.  Doc said I had the eyes of a 75 year old.

Cataract surgery to replace the inner lenses of the eyes and lasix done by laser at the same time and now I can drive during the day with no correction at all.  I am so happy with the results.