Do You Read Me?

For the last few years, I've ordered my contact lenses online-- and at a pretty substantial savings. At my last tv station, the insurance was terrible, and to make matters worse, there was no vision coverage whatsoever. Since my eye doctor charges an arm and a leg for my lenses (about $80 per box), I looked online and discovered that I could order them online for about a third of that price. I had to hunt around for a while to find a company that carried my crazy-ass prescription (I have a very severe astigmatism), but it was worth the effort.

So why shouldn't I order glasses online, too? Okay-- I can hear what you're thinking. How on earth would you know that they'd look good on your face? A good argument, sure. But if you could get them for $8 a pair, wouldn't it be worth the risk?

Guess what? You can actually get them for eight bucks. Great Discovery: $ 8 Zenni Optical Rx Eyeglassess. (I guess the extra "s" is for extra "savings.") You can also get bifocals for about 25 bucks, tinted lenses for about $5 more, and pretty good prices on most other features. You just need to know your prescription.

Sure, some of the frames are kind of ugly. Others are, well... a matter of taste. Cory would love this pair. He's a big fan of nerdy glasses.
But really. most of them aren't so bad looking. And who cares? They're eight bucks! You could get ten pair, pick the one you like most, give the others to the Lions Club, and it would still be cheaper than buying them from an optometrist.