simple + green

simple + green has been in search of affordable glasses, as I may have found exactly what I need.

If you’re like me, you think about getting new glasses at least once a year. This subject has been on my mind recently. My current pair (for night and morning wear) are overdue to be replaced.

I just did my annual checkup and have my frame and lens allowance and am ready to go. But, as my insurance dictates, I need to focus on staying in-network or risk spending a good amount of money, most of which can’t be reimbursed.

And so I’ve been reading up, asking others what they do and generally trying to be savvy about how I’m going to spend this money. A big part of how I define living simply is assessing a need, how it is different from a want, and justifying the smartest purchase possible.

I need new glasses!

With the help of a really insightful New York Times article, I found a truly great resource for eyeglasses: Zenni Optical. The article reinforces the high cost of buying glasses, and show Zenni Optical as a leader in providing low-cost glasses.

The article also mentions that entire frame and lens packages from Zenni start at $8 a pair. Considering that frames are the most expensive (rightly so) part of buying glasses, and that the average pair of frames alone will cost anywhere from $50-$150, this is an amazing deal.

As I’m naturally curious, I had to go through their site to find out how they were able to offer their glasses so inexpensively. As it turns out, they’re able to offer glasses at these prices because:
1. They manufacture the frames themselves and sell direct to the customer. Their website looks to be the main means of sales.
2. They involve no middlemen, have no retail overheard and spend little to nothing on advertising

With that out of the way, I decided to actually shop for a pair.

Given my somewhat thin face, I’m leaning towards a pair of glasses that retails through Zenni Optical for $12.95. Check them out:

This is a simple + green recommended business. I’ll blog later, when I get my glasses. But for now, I feel a little bit richer having found some pretty nice glasses for not so much money.