[ale] [OT] [Way OT] need to fix eye glasses or replace at reasonable cost

Tue Sep 10 10:42:12 EDT 2013

I dropped vision insurance long ago because it is basically just a "discount card" type of scheme.  It gives you one eye exam sure but the few folks that accept it are doctors and by the time they're done adding up all the fees and discounts you'll pay more than you would at places like the L and C.   Since the latter will give you "free" eye exams if you buy glasses from them you don't save anything with this insurance.   (Unless of course you get the free eye exam from the insurance then purchase cheap glasses at one of the recommended places - I'll have to check out the latter.)

+eleventyone on the idea that the L and C type places gouge you.  Who really needs or even wants "designer" frames.   To realize how much you're being ripped off on just the frames you need only look at the cheap reading glasses kiosks at most drug/grocery stores.

-----Original Message-----
From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Ron Frazier (ALE)
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 10:26 AM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
Subject: Re: [ale] [OT] [Way OT] need to fix eye glasses or replace at reasonable cost

PS  Free tip.  To anyone dealing with these issues.  Check your insurance!  I had forgotten what we signed up for the last time my wife's company had open enrollment.  It turns out we do have a little bit of dental and optical insurance, and we didn't think we did.  It's not much, but the eye exam might be free and discounts on other things, in our case.

Ron

"Ron Frazier (ALE)" <atllinuxenthinfo at techstarship.com> wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>WOW!  You all are such a great resource for all types of info.  Thanks
>for all the great responses!  (And feel free to keep commenting.)
>
>Looks like Zenni is the place to be / go.
>
>I'm off to America's Best Glasses & Contacts (local store) to get an
>exam for $ 45.  And, I'll let them quote me on glasses, but I doubt
>seriously if they'll even be close to Zenni in price.  Zenni is quoting
>me < $ 60  (yay) for a high index prescription bifocal (grrr).  I made
>up a prescription just for testing the prices, but, obviously, I'll
>order the correct one.
>
>I didn't really NEED new glasses at this point, except for the fiasco
>with the self destructing AR coating.  I've been trying to avoid the
>bifocal thing, but it's getting to the point that, to read a pack of
>sugar, or a business card, I have to take my single vision glasses off.
> I guess it's better to see clearly than grumble about getting old.
>
>I like my lenses really big, and Zenni only has a few like that.  But,
>since I don't have a Ray-Ban budget, these should be adequate.  The
>frames, in this case, are $ 10.  I'll bet Clark Howard would approve.
>
>PS, someone mentioned about not being able to get lenses without a
>current prescription.  Zenni's website doesn't seem to care.  Just
>punch in the numbers and hit order.
>
>Thanks again for all the help.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Ron
>
>
>
>"Michael B. Trausch" <mbt at naunetcorp.com> wrote:
>
>>On 09/09/2013 09:05 PM, Jim Kinney wrote:
>>>
>>> Zennioptical.com and order new ones. 3way progressives are under
>>$100.
>>>
>>+eleventyone.
>>
>>I used to spend $300+ for glasses that I could both wear and not be
>>embarassed about.  I am allergic to most metals used in glasses, so my
>>choices are either cheap, ugly plastic frames for about $100 from
>>Wal*Mart, or ordering from Zenni and spending $24 for the same
>>prescription---/and that includes transitions capability as well as
>>"memory" titanium//!/  That really cannot be beat.
>>
>>I don't have to order the high-index lenses yet, but when I do, my
>cost
>>per pair will go up from $24 (compare to about $300 at Walmart) to
>>about
>>$85--100 (compare to $500+ here).
>>
>>So, the annual song and dance for me includes going to Walmart,
>>spending
>>$50 cash on an eye exam, and then coming home and spending about $100
>>on three glasses and shipping.  This means two things:
>>
>>  * The insurance is a hell of a lot cheaper.  $100 for three pairs of
>>glasses means that I don't have to worry about a crunch costing me
>>$300.
>>  * I can always pull out a new, clean pair for something significant
>>    like a funeral.
>> * I can retire or swap-out pairs for maintenance as I want.  I seem
>to
>>    have a knack for making glasses very loose, and so they fall off
>my
>>    head relatively quickly without ongoing maintenance.
>>
>>I was talking to someone recently who lost their (only, and who can
>>blame them!) $1,000 pair of Rx glasses.  Mentioned Zenni to them, and
>>they went to check it out---they were able to get their same script
>>filled for less than 20% of that price.
>>
>>I have never been disappointed with them, and I've been wearing their
>>glasses on my face for the past five years or so.  I can't recommend
>>them highly enough.
>>
>>    --- Mike
>>
>>--
>>Naunet Corporation Logo       Michael B. Trausch
>>
>>President, *Naunet Corporation*
>>? (678) 287-0693 x130 or (888) 494-5810 x130
>>FAX: (678) 783-7843
>>
>>
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>
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>
>--
>
>Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9
>Mail.
>Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.
>
>(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
>call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate
>energy mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages
>very
>quickly.)
>
>Ron Frazier
>770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
>linuxdude AT techstarship.com
>Litecoin: LZzAJu9rZEWzALxDhAHnWLRvybVAVgwTh3
>Bitcoin: 15s3aLVsxm8EuQvT8gUDw3RWqvuY9hPGUU
>
>
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--

Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.
Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
Litecoin: LZzAJu9rZEWzALxDhAHnWLRvybVAVgwTh3
Bitcoin: 15s3aLVsxm8EuQvT8gUDw3RWqvuY9hPGUU

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