How much do contact lenses cost?

RustyPrincess

RustyPrincess

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How much would contact lenses cost for a year/per month?

Which is better, the daily disposable ones or the ones that last about a month, or the hard lenses?

Which brand do you prefer?

Do prices vary according to strength?

Which optometrist do you go to?

I’m kinda sick of the whole glasses thing, so looking for a change. :)
 
Regarding your last statement - have you ever tried putting any in your eyes?

I battle ... actually, I can't at all :(
 
Well my fiancee pays 900 bucks every 6 months.

Not all that bad but i do miss the library teacher look from time to time :D

She also struggled at first with them but you get used to them pretty fast she reckons
 
Depending on which area of Jhb you are, I have been using Midrand Optomotrists (011)315 8525, explain your problem and they will be the best to advize..
 
Dolby said:
Regarding your last statement - have you ever tried putting any in your eyes?

I battle ... actually, I can't at all :(
Click to expand...

:) You need proper technique
1. Face mirror.
2. Place contact on right pointing finger.
3. Lift left arm, hold your top eyelid with left hand fingers pointing downward.
4. Lift right arm, hold bottom eyelid with remaining right hand fingers.
5. You do all this to keep your eye from blinking.
6. Simply place contact on eye center.
With enough practise you can do this without a mirror :)
 
Aaaah, putting them in is nothing.
The first few times are a bit interesting and you'll probably freak out a bit the first time you struggle to get one out but a week or two later it's really nothing at all.

Re what type, depends on you. Hard ones / permantent ones are expensive in the short term and are are more maintainence since you have to make sure no proteins build up on it. Disposable ones are cheaper short term & no maintainence but you have to keep buying. Protein isn't a problem since you throw them away.

Sort of the buy your cell for cash up front or part of a contract type situation. If your eyes are still changing disposable's are prob. better since you only have 6 or so, so when your eyes change you just update your prescription. Replacing a hard lense / permanent lenses costs a lot more.

Re how much they cost, depends on what type your eyes need. Mine are like R300 for the one eye and about R500 for the other and not all medical aids cover it, and when they do it comes out of the 'savings account'. Thats for 6 for each eye = 6 months if you follow it exactly. Then the cleaning/storing solution liquid costs about R45 every 2-3 months.

Pay cash for the lenses and you'll save a lot on discounts.
 
jem said:
Aaaah, putting them in is nothing.
The first few times are a bit interesting and you'll probably freak out a bit the first time you struggle to get one out but a week or two later it's really nothing at all.

Re what type, depends on you. Hard ones / permantent ones are expensive in the short term and are are more maintainence since you have to make sure no proteins build up on it. Disposable ones are cheaper short term & no maintainence but you have to keep buying. Protein isn't a problem since you throw them away.

Sort of the buy your cell for cash up front or part of a contract type situation. If your eyes are still changing disposable's are prob. better since you only have 6 or so, so when your eyes change you just update your prescription. Replacing a hard lense / permanent lenses costs a lot more.

Re how much they cost, depends on what type your eyes need. Mine are like R300 for the one eye and about R500 for the other and not all medical aids cover it, and when they do it comes out of the 'savings account'. Thats for 6 for each eye = 6 months if you follow it exactly. Then the cleaning/storing solution liquid costs about R45 every 2-3 months.

Pay cash for the lenses and you'll save a lot on discounts.
Click to expand...

Thanks, thats very helpful :D
 
It's also a total myth that it can go behind your eye, it's not really possible. it can go near the top/bottom etc but not behind.
 
stormy said:
:) You need proper technique
1. Face mirror.
2. Place contact on right pointing finger.
3. Lift left arm, hold your top eyelid with left hand fingers pointing downward.
4. Lift right arm, hold bottom eyelid with remaining right hand fingers.
5. You do all this to keep your eye from blinking.
6. Simply place contact on eye center.
With enough practise you can do this without a mirror :)
Click to expand...

It all sounds very easy ;)

I neeeded my girlfriend to try (I tried once ...) and when they were in, it was alright. Just getting them in/out relied on her.

We couldn't argue during the day else she'd simply refuse to help thuogh :/
 
Are there any places people recommend to get them cheap? I normally buy mine in the states but am not heading that way for a while. Can get a years worth for about 700 rand.
 
RustyPrincess said:
A) How much would contact lenses cost for a year/per month?

1) Which is better, the daily disposable ones or the ones that last about a month, or the hard lenses?

2) Which brand do you prefer?

3) Do prices vary according to strength?
Click to expand...

A) Depending on how many days a week you are wearing them, how long which lenses etc etc.

1) I prefer Monthly as thats imo the best value for money and its not uncomfortable.

2) You will ten 2 one get a test pair or two from your opt. See which works best for you.

3) They might. Mine are a bit more expensive because hey are shipped in from Aus.

Dolby said:
Regarding your last statement - have you ever tried putting any in your eyes?

I battle ... actually, I can't at all :(
Click to expand...

Harden the Fsck up! :p:D
 
RustyPrincess said:
How much would contact lenses cost for a year/per month?
Click to expand...

My lenses are 2 weekly- ie I can use them for 2 weeks before chucking them.
I get them from the USA, as they are cheaper from there, it costs me $250 per year.

RustyPrincess said:
Which is better, the daily disposable ones or the ones that last about a month, or the hard lenses?
Click to expand...

Daily disposables are healthier/easier(as you can just chuck them out at the end of the day), but they will cost you double the price of 2 weekly lenses

RustyPrincess said:
Which brand do you prefer?
Click to expand...

I currently use Acuvue Oasys lenses. It is the top lens by Johnson and Johnson and many optometrists will recommend them.
Best idea is the go for an eye test, and your optometrist will check which lens fits your eye the best.

RustyPrincess said:
Do prices vary according to strength?
Click to expand...

Nope. Not in the Acuvue range at least

RustyPrincess said:
Which optometrist do you go to?
Click to expand...

Been to so many different ones. Just go to one nearby your house and see if you're happy with them. If not, try another one

RustyPrincess said:
I’m kinda sick of the whole glasses thing, so looking for a change. :)
Click to expand...

I CANNOT wear glasses for more than a few hours. I LOVE my contact lenses and I have been wearing them every day for the past 5 years. I use my glasses for the first few hours in the morning, and then wear my lenses the rest of the day. It takes me 10s to put them in, 30s to clean them and put them away, and I can;t even feel them in my eyes anymore... it's as if I have 20/20 vision most of the day. I can't recommend them more
 
I don't think you should get hard lenses unless you really need them.
They're really expensive (bought a pair last year around April, think they were over R1 500 for the set); much more difficult to put in and get out than soft lenses; but they also last much longer (I have a set that was good for about 9 years that I still keep as back-up; only reason for changing it was a prescription change. If the prescription remains the same and they start bugging, a polish is all that's needed and they're as good as new).
 
Just be aware of small eye irritations. I've had my monthly contacts for about a year and a half, and when I did my bi-annual eye check-up, the optometrist, he was quite scared to see how red my eyes were getting. It turned out I had an irritation...so I'm using daily contacts for a month, with eye-drops. This irritation shouldn't be too much of a concern - I still prefer the contacts over my glasses :)

Yeah, at first I struggled to put them in, but now it's very easy although I still sometimes put the contact in the wrong part of the eye :p
 
How much would contact lenses cost for a year/per month?
R1200 per year. I buy the one-month disposables. They sell them in boxes of 3:mad:, forcing you to get 2 boxes each time for convenience. So its R600 twice a year.

Which is better, the daily disposable ones or the ones that last about a month, or the hard lenses?
Monthlies are perfect for me. Hard ones will break if they get stepped on, especially if you're a 1st timer trying to insert & remove them. At least once in the beginning you'll lose one and forget to freeze and squint while looking for it with a)your naked, weak eyes or b) only one lens if you managed to get the first one in :D During such times, your glasses are never in arm's reach.

Which brand do you prefer?
I use Cibavision Oxygen lenses. They used to be called Air 02. Allegedly they let your eyes "breathe" more. I don't believe that marketing hype, but they are excellent for my needs. They never fall out when I accidentally go to sleep with them on - 3 nights straight was the longest I went.

Do prices vary according to strength?
Mine didn't increase in price when I had to go up to a stronger prescription.

Which optometrist do you go to?
Torga Optical. They have franchises all over and often great specials on their glasses (lovely branded ones & sunglasses too), or give a free eye-test when you go in for more lenses etc.

I’m kinda sick of the whole glasses thing, so looking for a change.
You will enjoy the change because finally there is a point to eyeshadow, mascara & shaping your brows;) I still wear my glasses around the house. I can't drive with them on because I get this feeling that they increase my blind spot - and I know that's just foolishness on my part. I've driven with my glasses a couple of times in emergencies.
 
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As for the set costs some people are quoting you may find this differ in reality some times....

On some occasions you'll find yourself losing track of how long you have been using a pair, and they still feel fine, so you end up wearing them for more than a month. Obviously no optometrist will recommend this (less sales perhaps?) but you'll end up doing it.

On other occasions you'll go for a body surf at the beach with you three day old lenses and you'll come out of the water with one missing.

But in saying that the freedom of lenses is great. No rain drops on your glasses, no not being able to perv at the hot chicks (or guys as the case may be) on the beach as you have to take your glasses off to swim etc :)
 
i had contacts for about 6 years, evenly i got really tired at night, so i whent to the opto and he checked my eye pressure, he said I just invest in a nice pair of glasses, all i can say is my life changed since i dont wear them any more.
but in hind site, it was expensive, don't forget the storage fluid R80 a bottle.

but to put them in , you need to TRUST your finger :sick:
 
I never buy that fluid unless its on special. Always look around at Clicks, because they sell the biggest bottles in special banded packs of 2 sometimes, for the price of one. That cost me R60 last time & that can last over a year. They don't expire quickly.

Right now they have a similar special with 2 different sized bottles and a small box of fizzy anti-protein pills. They are basically trying to promote the use of those protein pills. I'm going to buy that when my second bottle is almost finished - hopefully if the special is still on.
 
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