How I saved almost $800 on my daughter’s glasses.

A few months ago, my daughter’s optometrist-bought glasses gave up the ghost. Despite taking good care of them, she moved them up her nose, and the hinge cracked. She was inconsolable, asking me, ‘how am I going to see, Mum?’ (She wears glasses full time)

My partner and I hugged her and told her it would be alright, exchanging worried glances; what the flippin’ heck were we going to do?

My darling had stopped working two months prior due to a work related illness. We’d not long been told if he didn’t get help very quickly, he could die, because he was really struggling to breathe. The bills were piling up, plus we’d just that very day bought our son his birthday present for the following day, and had very little money left for that fortnight. We certainly didn’t have a spare $400 lying around for an emergency pair of glasses.

We went to the optometrist the next day (thankfully our son was happy to spend his birthday this way!) and hated every single frame that would fit our then eight year-old. They just looked so severe, and had awful colours that just didn’t reflect a child’s tastes at all.

We stepped outside and tried to work out our options. My fiance, rightly, said, ‘we have to pick something quickly’. He wanted to lay-by something and we would just have to pay it off when we could. The optometrist told us they would take a week to come back, after payment had been finalised. So in reality, we were looking at a lot longer than just a week! I also reminded him that whatever glasses we bought, would pretty much become a part of her ‘face’, so to speak.

I remembered hearing about this online store called Zenni Optical, vaguely. I suggested this to my man. He voiced all my concerns about buying from there: what if the glasses didn’t suit her? What if they take too long to get delivered?

I pleaded with him to take a gigantic leap of faith with me. We had $80 left to our names. He reluctantly agreed to me purchasing two pairs for her. (We figured, if we could avoid her being left high and dry like this after a breakage in future, it would be worth it)

So, we got home. I went to the website. My daughter sat with me and helped me to pick which frames she liked. They had a lot more variety to choose from, and they were much more fashion-friendly for a child! Because she’d already tried on a lot of frames anyway, and been wearing glasses for a few years now, it became obvious that if we stuck with the shapes we knew suited her, that we’d be pretty likely to get her some nice glasses.

So, I selected the two frames (and there were plenty of others we would’ve liked to get too!), and I entered her optometrist’s prescription. DEAD easy. All up, it cost $58 (Aussie dollars). This included the postage ($9 US, for as many pairs as you like). I was warned on the site that delivery can take up to two weeks. But really, the optometrist’s glasses were going to take us far longer by the time we paid them off.

Five days later, our daughter’s parcel arrived. I handed it to my darling fiance. I couldn’t look! I had cajoled him into spending $58 of our last $80, and was internally debating whether or not I should just start running now. This had to be good! First, he pulled out a translucent, funky looking plastic case. Then he pulled out the cutest kids’ glasses you’ve ever seen!

I tell you, I have never been so relieved in my life! The other pair were gorgeous, too. We were so happy, we took them straight to school, and thankfully her lovely teacher let us pull her out of class to choose which glasses she’d wear that day. These glasses, both pairs, looked so pretty on her! It was a far cry from her previous pair which made her look quite dowdy. The smile on her face was a joy to behold.

From now on, we’ve vowed we will always buy our glasses from there, be it for us adults, or for the kids. Buying two pairs of glasses at the optometrist’s would’ve cost us about $800. We are so thrilled to know that we will save hundreds in years to come, especially since not only my eldest daughter wears glasses, but I wear them to read, and my baby girl is looking like she will need glasses too.

I found out about this site at one forum, and ended up sharing about it at another one. I have now heard of many people trying this company, and being incredibly happy with the results. The reasons they are so inexpensive, but high quality, are:

- They do not pay for any advertising. They don’t have to, because satisfied customers like myself enthusiastically spread the word! No advertising costs = cheaper product.

- You are ordering direct from the factory, and therefore you are not paying for any retail overheads.

- They only sell their brand, not Christian Dior, Mambo, or any other high priced brands. (Zenni’s brand seems to make better looking frames anyway)

- They obviously haven’t paid a fortune in website design, which you will be able to tell when you visit! It’s very plain. Basically, by cutting back what they feel are unnecessary costs, they are able to bring outstanding savings to us, the customer.

I was telling my parents and my friends about what we’d done before Miss 9′s glasses arrived. People were polite, but we could see the horror in their eyes. We were inwardly concerned ourselves! Now, everyone compliments our daughter on her pretty glasses, and want the website address. My parents have gotten the site from me, because they have been telling all their friends about it, and recommending it highly.

The point is, sometimes raising kids can be expensive. Heck, it can be expensive being a grown up, too! But this is a post to say a big thank you to Zenni, for what you’ve done to help our family when we were in crisis mode. Above all, you’ve taken away stress for our future optometrist needs. We love you, Zenni!!!