Let me paint you a picture. It’s 2016, Young Purple is a year and change into her journey to financial independence – and subsequently a year into writing on this blog π . I went to a bonfire on the beach in Seattle with some friends and had a lovely time. At some point during the night, my glasses were knocked off and lost to the bonfire gods.
Shit happens π and usually I would be pretty chill about it since I can get around alright without my glasses. However, this was a mere week before my big international trip of the year to Vietnam that I had been very much looking forward to. And understandably, I wanted to be able to see this new country I was visiting.
So I frantically started researching local optometrists and found a great one in Downtown Seattle. They were wonderful and helped me get new glasses that would arrive before I left for my trip. Phew! I was excited I would actually get to see during my travels, but then…the bill arrived π .
Even with vision insurance, I had to pay $109.10 for these new glasses. I looked into it after and my insurance covered $200 glasses every few years so in essence these new glasses cost $309.10…and they were made of plastic. I was flabbergasted.
However, luckily, using YNAB since 2015 had prepared me for this unexpected expense. I had budgeted for it in advance and was easily able to pay without worry. But that sticker shock stuck with me π .
So in 2018 when I was looking for new glasses, I started seeking out a different solution. I wasn’t in a rush like I had been for my Vietnam adventure so I could do proper research to see what was out there.
That led me to Zenni Optical. I believe it was someone in this personal finance community that recommended them. I researched the company and found that they basically remove the middle men and don’t play insurance games, which allows them to sell very affordable glasses that are just as good as any you would buy at your optometrist’s office.
Preparing For Zenni
I ordered eye glasses from Zenni and discovered a few interesting things. First is that when you go to your optometrist, they give you all your prescription information, which is what you provide to Zenni to custom make your glasses. However, all optometrists I’ve ever visited don’t provide one key piece of information: pupillary distance.
You have to ask specifically at the office for them to measure this for some reason. Every time I’ve asked, it’s been free and takes them seconds to do. However, that first time I wanted to try Zenni, I didn’t know about this information gap and didn’t ask for my pupillary distance. Luckily, Zenni is prepared for that π .
They have a very helpful guide that shows you how to measure your own pupillary distance. I did that and luckily I did it correctly because my glasses fit perfectly. I’ve been wearing them to this day without issues.
The Cost
So how much does this awesome-ness cost? Instead of $300, my eyeglasses at Zenni cost $34.40. Yes you read that correctly. Almost 1/10 of the previous cost. My Zenni receipt broke down like this:
Frames $25.95
Priority Shipping $8.45
Obviously the fact that this company exists and is able to provide the same level of eyeglasses at such a reduced cost made me tell EVERYONE and their mother about Zenni. Now my entire family uses it as well as my partner’s entire family and most of our friends.
Zenni: Sunglasses Edition
And now we’ve come to something new π . I’ve always had separate sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses and it wasn’t a big deal. I would have my sunglasses case in my purse and swap as needed.
However, that’s changed now that I’m a runner π . Running is the only time I find it inconvenient to have both. I want to be able to see – especially who is following me down a weird alley, but I also want to be able to protect my eyes if I’m running into the sun. Swapping back and forth was cumbersome since I don’t usually run with a backpack or purse.
So I decided to do something about this π . I looked into Zenni’s prescription sunglasses offerings, bought some and my life was changed π . Being able to see AND protect my eyes is a game changer – who would have guessed π ?
Now the prescription sunglasses understandably have more going on than standard eyeglasses and the cost reflects that. My sunglasses cost $56.80 and broke down like this:
Frames $6.95
Polarized Lenses $35.95
(Optional) AR Anti-Reflection Coating $8.95
Standard Shipping $4.95
And if I didn’t want the polarized lenses I could have gotten these sunglasses for $19.85. Wild π .
I ordered these sunglasses with standard shipping, which is 7-14 business days and they were delivered 7 business days later. However, there was a bit of a fiasco that had nothing to do with Zenni and I ended up having to re-order them.
Basically I had them sent to my aunt’s house right before we were scheduled to visit her, but she put them somewhere and she forgot where π . We looked everywhere and couldn’t find them so I re-ordered them so I would have them for my big international trip that’s coming up – this time with expedited shipping. They estimated 3-5 business days and it arrived in 3.
Awesome to see my favorite glasses company @zennioptical in the wildπ! I didn't even know they did ad campaigns π€·πΎββοΈ. #WordOfMouth pic.twitter.com/X0ZJ6R2s5W
— A Purple Life (@APurpleLifeBlog) April 3, 2022
Conclusion
So I’m a serious Zenni Optical fan π . Something as important as the ability to see well shouldn’t be so wildly expensive for no reason. I’m super happy that Zenni exists and provides an affordable option for anyone looking for prescription lenses. I also love how they break out all the costs and options so you can tailor glasses to your specific needs and price point. When I need a new pair of eyeglasses I know where to go π .
What’s your favorite frugal tip?
I love zenni glasses! I went from spending over $700 (with insurance) for glasses to $45. I now actually get glasses every time my prescription changes vs when I really have to because the old glasses arenβt working anymore.
That’s awesome!! And yeah – having glasses not cost as much as a month of rent sure helps to encourage actually following my eye doctor’s suggestions π .
OMG, please never stop posting! I have made it a habit to check this every Tuesday morning. I’m not a big traveler but love to keep up and I get to vicariously travel via reading your blogs (lol)….but I always feel scammed each year getting glasses…seriously thank you for this post
Haha I can never say never, but I’ll do my best! Also lots of travel posts are coming so look forward to that π . I hope the Zenni suggestion helps!
Thanks Purple. I wished I’d known about this company sooner. Unfortunately, during Labor Day weekend, I paid $816.49 and currently awaiting my new glasses to arrive (from Lenscrafters).
To answer your question, my best frugal tip was switching my cell phone service provider to Mint Mobile. Since I retired, I pay $15 a month now. I didn’t even have to switch my phone number.
I also just ordered glasses from Lenscrafters – mine will be $470. I’m guessing we have more-complicated prescriptions than Purple does!
I’m going to order a set of glasses from Zenni also, for two reasons.
1) I want to compare a fresh set of glasses from each to confirm that they’re (hopefully) equally good, and 2) so I have a backup pair of glasses in my current prescription. I lost my last set of glasses when traveling (and no, travel insurance doesn’t cover that) and have been using an old set for the last 6 months. I really miss my old glasses, I loved them so.
That’s an interesting point. I’d love to hear how much your glasses would be from Zenni with a more complicated prescription if you don’t mind sharing.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve talked about Zenni on my social media before, but this was my first full article about them. Now I wish I had written it sooner.
That’s awesome about your experience with Mint!
The show Adam Ruins Everything had a great segment about how one company, Luxottica, controls almost the entire market for prescription glasses, and uses that monopoly power to jack up prices sky-high:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAeHuDcy_bY
That’s capitalism for you!
I love Adam Ruins Everything and can’t believe I missed this one! Thanks for sending.
Great article…but it seems like it’s “cheap eyeglasses” month. Along with your article, Consumer Reports has an article about getting cheaper eyeglasses as well. They report the lowest price is…Zenni Optical. Obviously great minds think alike. I will definitely check them out next time (and drop my vision plan…not worth the money).
Oh cool – I’ll check out that Consumer Reports article. I guess great minds do think alike π .
I think I first used Zenni optical after reading about it back in the mid to early 2000. I bought a few and I remember one pair that wasn’t so great in the lenses so I’ve been afraid to order new ones since I crossed over to tri-focals. I might try again the next time I renew my Rx. I remember when I gave the information to this family of three who all had glasses chipped or taped together and the next time they all had new glasses.
Thanks for continuing to blog, my wife and I are really looking at retiring early and our budget will be similar to yours but we will own our home. Makes me nervous but I think we can do it.
It’s interesting to hear that the lenses weren’t that great in 2000. I hope they’ve improved that in the last 23 years. I personally haven’t had a problem with them, but I don’t use bi-focals or tri-focals. If you try again I’d love to hear about your experience!
That’s amazing the family was about to replace their glasses after hearing about a more affordable solution.
Thank you for reading π . Personally living my retired life and seeing it go better than forecast was the only way my nervousness dropped to 0%.
I love Zenni! And my vision insurance reimburses me the small amount that I do spend on my frames and lenses! Win/Win!
That’s awesome!! I pay out of pocket and keep the receipt so I can take the money out of my HSA down the line π .
I love Zenni! Iβm so glad they exist because boy oh boy are glasses such a rip off. Thanks for pointing out the PD, it really is important to have that number handy.
Random personal hacks:
Boiling water in an electric kettle before transferring it to a hot pan, it cuts a good amount of time.
When I have issues with my phone bill, I call my provider and ask to be connected to someone in customer retention right away. Their whole job is to keep you so they know how to help faster than a regular customer service agent.
The Libby app for free digital books ( I learned from you, thank you!!)
Lastly, when cleaning, I start from the highest areas and work my way down. Basically I do the floors last so I donβt have to clean them more than once.
As always, thank you Purple!
Indeed they are π . And you’re welcome!
These are awesome hacks – and I’m so happy to hear Libby has helped! Thank you π .
I have gotten glasses from Zeni for a decade now for my daughter (started when she was just over 1 yr old – amblyopia /lazy eye), usually needing to changes prescriptions or replace broken glasses 1-2x each year. Highly recommend, although they were not great for bifocals when the ophthalmologist prescribed them for a year. Zenniβs bifocal line is set a specific height from the bottom of the lenses, which obviously varies quite a bit depending on frame size/shape, and we couldnβt really tell how any particular frame would sit on her face beforehand.
Very good to know about bifocals! Thank you for sharing.