Best Deals in Eye Care (Contact Lenses and glasses)

Maintaining good vision is important to good health. Almost everyone will need glasses or contact lenses at some point in their life. Like everything else, the cost of eye care is increasing. The good news is there are ways you can save money with cheap eye care if you know where to look. The first place you will go looking for cheap eye care is your eye doctor. You can save on the cost of your eye exam if you have health insurance. Some insurance carriers require a co-pay while some will reimburse you for a portion of your costs. If you don't have health insurance, some health discount cards include visits to the eye doctor as part of their package. If you have insurance or a health discount card, make sure your doctor is a participating member.

Once you have seen the eye doctor, you need to decide if you want glasses or contact lenses. Glasses are a cheaper eye care and require less maintenance. Glasses are considered fashionable by some and many designers also have eyewear collections. The variety of frames and lenses also vary. However, if you are concerned about how you look in glasses or you just don't want to search for your eyewear every morning, you may want to consider contact lenses. In recent years, manufacturers have produced a contact lens that will suit almost everyone, including those with astigmatisms. You can even purchase contact lenses that will change the color of your eyes. However, colored contact lenses are not considered cheap eyewear and most retailers do not offer discounts on them.

Most eye doctors have glasses and contacts in their office that you can purchase. But often, the costs are higher than at other places. Buying from the eye doctor may be cheaper if your insurance will cover the costs.

In the past two decades, many discount eyewear stores have opened in metropolitan areas. These stores offer an eye exam and two pairs of glasses for a low price. A contact lens exam is more expensive. These stores usually don't offer coupons since their prices are low.

With many major eyewear retailers you can also find cheap eye care by searching through coupons in your Sunday newspaper. Many of these retailers offer a package deal for eyewear and an exam that can save you up to 25 percent for eye care. These coupons often have a buy one, get one free deal on glasses. Contact lenses are also discounted.

Well-known eyewear retailers like Pearl Vision Center and LensCrafters often have coupons in the Sunday newspaper. If you don't get the Sunday newspaper, you can find some of these coupons at www.SmartSource.com. Some retailers also offer online coupons that you can print out and bring into the store.

If you wear contact lenses, you can buy them online. Even though it seem you may be able to get a better deal from the Internet, often you pay more when you factor in costs for shipping and handling. While ordering contact lenses online may seem like a good way to get cheap eyewear, you also have the hassle of waiting for your order and having to return them by mail if the lenses are unsatisfactory. The advantage of ordering online is that you can order them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Many eyewear providers offer rebates. These rebates can drive the price of contact lenses down but you are faced with having to mail in the rebate form and then wait for a check. Sometimes you are only allowed to use your rebate on one box, which can be misleading since most contact lens wearers purchase a six-month or year supply at one time.

If you choose to wear contact lenses, you must keep them clean to prevent eye infections. This is usually done with a cleaning solution that is used daily. Some contact lens wearers also purchase rewetting drops to keep they eye moist. Contact lens cleaning solution can be expensive, depending on the brand. Many major retailers offer a store brand that is considerably cheaper than the brand name. You can also find coupons either in the Sunday paper or online for contact lens cleaning solutions.