I like to say I am not cheap, I am frugal. I like quality and I would rather pay a little more for something that would last, but I also love to save money.  Buying eyeglasses online was a bit of risky territory, but I did my research and put in  my first order from EyeBuyDirect in February of 2011.  I ordered a pair of glasses for $36.12 (including shipping!).  I added a “Tint Key” of “Grey 60%” so I could use these glasses for driving.  Essentially I created a pair of prescription sunglasses for only $36.12.  Can you say sweet!

Overall I was pleased with this purchase, so when Adam needed new glasses as well, we returned to EyeBuyDirect for another purchase. I definitely learned a few things my first time ordering online, so I felt more comfortable with this second purchase.  I am in no way affiliated with EyeBuyDirect.  For my first order, I chose EyeBuyDirect over other popular choices like Zenni Optical or  $39 Dollar Glasses because after adding my prescription lens with a tint they were the cheapest choice.  Many online eyeglass sellers can be misleading because they don’t share upfront the cost of adding a prescription lens to the frame you choose.  Make sure you do your research with whoever you choose.  The second time around I decided to go with EyeBuyDirect again because of this.  During the holiday season, they offer 50% off Gift Vouchers (I don’t know when this offer will expire).  You can only use one voucher per order and it is a one time deal, meaning you cannot reuse any of your unused voucher money.  It is smart to put your order together first to see how much voucher money you will need.

Adam and I already had an order in place for 4 pairs, that’s right, FOUR pairs of glasses.  He wanted three pairs; an everyday pair, a computer use only pair, and a sport sunglasses pair.  I was putting in an order for a second pair of everyday glasses because I have the tendency to break my glasses.  The last time that happened I was without glasses for over a month.  I figure (for me) a backup pair is a necessity.  This brought our order total to around $158.00.  Since the gift vouchers come in $20-$100 values (and you can’t use more than one), I went ahead and purchased a $100 voucher for Adam to use on the order.  It was supposed to be sent instantly to my email.  So I waited.  And waited.  And waited!  Finally I contacted customer service and had a surprisingly lovely chat.  (I removed names and personal information from the chat log. You can also see the quirky files that were on my desktop at the time.)

The customer service person resolved the issue by giving my gift voucher redemption code directly.  Thank goodness!  Adam promptly placed our order.

Although our order total is only $61.37, you have to keep in mind that I paid $50 for the voucher, so in actuality we spent $111.37.  This means we spend $27.84 on average for each pair of prescription glasses.  Not too shabby!

Oh, I almost forgot.  EyeBuyDirect offers “loyalty dollars” so I was able to save an additional $3 because of my previous purchase.  They also gave me a code to share on facebook, twitter, or other social media that will save you 15% and give me $5 off when it is used.  If you are interested, my EyeBuyDirect coupon code to share for 15% off is: IFT2Q1B7BB

Happy eyeglass shopping!  Be sure to read my tips for ordering glasses online here.  I will post part two to this review once my order arrives.  I can’t wait!