Four Eyes (or An Unexpected Expense)

I’ve had horrible vision pretty much since birth. I used to wear glasses all the time, but when I was 9, my parents decided to let me get contacts (thank you Mom and Dad for that!). Now, I pretty much only wear glasses when I’m getting ready for bed or for rare occasions (like when I’ve gone in for surgery).

So I don’t get glasses too often. I think since I was 18, I’ve had 2 different pairs. The pair that I currently have I know I’ve had at least since 2006. I’m wearing them in this picture that was taken right after I had my hip surgery.

Well, the other night, I was getting my glasses out of their case so I could read in bed, and this happened.

At first, I figured it would be an easy fix. Most hinges on glasses have a screw and I figured it must have come loose. But what actually broke was where the hinge connected to the piece that broke off, and that was glued together.

So I did some emergency gluing but realized that maybe I should get a new pair of glasses that aren’t broken.

So I made a trip to Kaiser to pick up my glasses prescription. My plan was to go to Costco or Lens Crafters or someplace I could get some cheap frames.

While I was waiting, I decided to see what glasses Kaiser had and how much they were.

And oh my goodness! Most of the frames were in the $200 range! And that didn’t include the cost of the lenses which typically run me about $100 since I have a strong prescription (and a slight astigmatism).

I managed to find a few frames that were under $100.

These were $79.

And these were $99 (and I think a bit more flattering even though it doesn’t really matter).

So finally my name is called, and I bring both frames with me just out of curiosity (I was also going to get a discount on any purchase I made at Kaiser since I hadn’t purchased glasses there within the past two years).

Turns out, the first frames (the $79 ones) were actually part of a special sale. I could get both frames and lenses for $99! The lenses would be a bit thick since I wouldn’t get the special ones, but it really doesn’t matter when I’m reading in bed. The nerdy look isn’t too bad on me either.

So I ended up decided to get my glasses at Kaiser and going with the first pair. After my discount, my new glasses cost just under $70! Not too bad.

I get to pick them up in about a week, so in the meantime, I’m being really gentle with my broken glasses. I’m hoping that this new pair will last me close to a decade (as long as my vision doesn’t change). And hopefully within the next decade I’ll get laser surgery on my eyes (it’s been my dream to do that since high school). And if manage to find a way to pay for laser eye surgery, then my glasses and contacts will be a thing of the past!

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