Vision Insurance Work-Around: Tip-of-the-Day #318

If you have vision insurance and your plan only covers a fraction of the cost of new frames and lenses, there are ways to save money.

A couple of weeks ago I tried on some great frames at a local shop and they cost $225. With the lenses? Nearly $500. This particular optometrist was "out of network" and so it would have been an out of pocket cost to me. I wasn't willing to shell out that kind of cash for reading glasses but was also bummed out that I'd have to walk away from the one pair of frames that I'd found and really liked.

So, I went online and started hunting around for the pair I had found. I sourced them on Overstock.com for $99. Score! I ordered the glasses and then dropped by my local LensCrafters to get the lenses made.

My insurance works closely with LensCrafters and pays most of the cost of the lenses. The saleswoman at LensCrafters convinced me that I really need anti-glare (not sure if I was hoodwinked on that one) which tacked $130 onto my bill but, I was ultimately able to buy the glasses and the frames for $229 ALL IN instead of the $500 I was originally quoted. That's a huge savings!

Next time you're considering new lenses, you may also want to head over to Costco. I've heard that's the best way to go but I was not in the mood to fight traffic and lines yesterday. Just sayin'.