Mustachian Vision Correction (glasses vs. contacts vs. Lasik)

[jo552006]

Due to poor vision, I have had glasses for several years.  While some form of vision correction is a necessity, I have been thinking about the cost of the different options trying to determine what is really the most Mustachian option.

Glasses - I currently believe this is the most Mustachian option since I get mine online.  Replace 2 pairs every 3 years or so.
Contacts - Expect higher cost than glasses.
Lasik - High up front cost, potential long term payback, as well as potential for complications.

In short, I have always used glasses.  I really think in the long term that glasses will be the cheapest option as I get mine through online sellers when they have deals, and they last me years. (Unless I run them over with a tractor again)  I am not unhappy with glasses, so it really does come down to cost.  My annual cost for glasses is probably $100-$150 on average, which covers sunglasses as well as normal glasses.  I think contacts while having a few extra benefits would be the most expensive option.  Lasik I expect could give glasses a run for the money, but I believe that you often end up needing re-correction after 10-15 years.  I also don't know if I like the invasive route or not, and it obviously has a high up front cost, and potential for complications.

Thoughts?

[ysette9]

First, I think it depends a bit on what age you are. Lasik usually does a fantastic job of correcting your vision but it cannot do anything about the natural aging process which leads many people to needing reading glasses later in life. That will happen or not regardless of whether you keep wearing glasses, contacts, or get Lasik. If you get Lasik early in life then you have many more years of total glasses-free vision to enjoy versus if you get it in your 40s, looking at potentially needing reading glasses in the near future.

When I did the calculations personally, glasses came out ahead money-wise. However for me, not wearing glasses has such an ENORMOUS quality-of-life value that Lasik has been one of the better things i have spent money on in a long time. (Note: I use the term "Lasik" loosely to mean Lasik, PRK, corneal implants, or other similar procedures depending on what you qualify for). Personally, I hated wearing glasses. Always having to clean them, they fog up when i run in the rain, the lack of peripherial vision, having to pay for and carry around two sets of glasses (sunglasses) all the time, not being able to see what time it is in the middle of the night, etc. I ADORE having perfect vision now.

You have your own values so make your decision accordingly.

[Greg]

I agree that glasses are the more mustachian option.  Cheaper over time, reusable, easy to put on/take off, can do double duty like eye protection/sunglasses.  A lot depends on the amount of correction you need and what you do for a living and for fun as well.  For instance, if you're sporty, glasses might not be the best bet.

[ketchup]

I've worn glasses since middle school.  Fairly mild prescription.

I've had my current pair since at least 2008, and my "backup pair" is from sometime before that.  My parents are both optometrists, so both pairs were at one point my parents' "free pair of glasses per year." 

Buy a big box of lens wipes at Costco for $8 every few years, and maybe replace the glasses themselves every ten years as long as you don't do something stupid.

Glasses are cheap (or free if you know the right person) and last a long time.  Definitely the most Mustachian vision correction.

My optometrist parents are mortified of LASIK and have scared me off.  It's also expensive and requires followup years down the road.  Count me out.

[dantownehall]

Glasses are definitely the most mustachian option.  I had one pair from high school til age 26, for a total cost of somewhere around $8/yr.  Cleaned 'em on my shirt, avoiding even the box of lens wipes.

However, at 26 I got my eyes lasered, mostly because wearing glasses is pretty annoying in most sporty/outdoorsy/athletic situations.  If you break your glasses while camping/backpacking, there are potential issues.  Also, I'm the sort of person who dislikes having extraneous things on my person (no watch, jewelry, etc.), and glasses definitely fell into that category.

Depending on how you value the removal of that annoyance every waking hour until age 40-45 (when reading glasses will be needed), you may or may not come out ahead.  It was a large cost, but worth it for me.

[zolotiyeruki]

First, I think it depends a bit on what age you are. Lasik usually does a fantastic job of correcting your vision but it cannot do anything about the natural aging process which leads many people to needing reading glasses later in life. That will happen or not regardless of whether you keep wearing glasses, contacts, or get Lasik. If you get Lasik early in life then you have many more years of total glasses-free vision to enjoy versus if you get it in your 40s, looking at potentially needing reading glasses in the near future.

When I did the calculations personally, glasses came out ahead money-wise. However for me, not wearing glasses has such an ENORMOUS quality-of-life value that Lasik has been one of the better things i have spent money on in a long time. (Note: I use the term "Lasik" loosely to mean Lasik, PRK, corneal implants, or other similar procedures depending on what you qualify for). Personally, I hated wearing glasses. Always having to clean them, they fog up when i run in the rain, the lack of peripherial vision, having to pay for and carry around two sets of glasses (sunglasses) all the time, not being able to see what time it is in the middle of the night, etc. I ADORE having perfect vision now.

You have your own values so make your decision accordingly.

I was going to respond, but ysette9 basically said everything I would have said.

[bigalsmith101]

First, I think it depends a bit on what age you are. Lasik usually does a fantastic job of correcting your vision but it cannot do anything about the natural aging process which leads many people to needing reading glasses later in life. That will happen or not regardless of whether you keep wearing glasses, contacts, or get Lasik. If you get Lasik early in life then you have many more years of total glasses-free vision to enjoy versus if you get it in your 40s, looking at potentially needing reading glasses in the near future.

When I did the calculations personally, glasses came out ahead money-wise. However for me, not wearing glasses has such an ENORMOUS quality-of-life value that Lasik has been one of the better things i have spent money on in a long time. (Note: I use the term "Lasik" loosely to mean Lasik, PRK, corneal implants, or other similar procedures depending on what you qualify for). Personally, I hated wearing glasses. Always having to clean them, they fog up when i run in the rain, the lack of peripherial vision, having to pay for and carry around two sets of glasses (sunglasses) all the time, not being able to see what time it is in the middle of the night, etc. I ADORE having perfect vision now.

You have your own values so make your decision accordingly.

I was going to respond, but ysette9 basically said everything I would have said.

My pre-laser eye surgery prescription was -7.00 and -7.25 on my left and right eyes respectively. (Doctor equated to 20/1200!!!) Absolutely blind to the world without corrective lenses.

These are a few of the things I no longer think about now that I no longer require glasses/contacts to see:

1) Opening eyes underwater (swimming, bathing, shower)
2) Eye irritation from contacts
3) Waking up in morning and immediately reaching for glasses/contacts
4) Wearing ski goggles when skiing (can't fit them over glasses)
5) Relying on prescription sunglasses in lieu of contacts
6) Buying/running out of contact solution/contacts
7) Damaging/loosing my glasses
8) Reading ANYTHING without corrective lenses
9) MANY OTHER THINGS

I have my laser eye surgery procedure just over 4 years ago at age 24 and haven't looked back. Vision hasn't moved from 20/15 since then.

[damize]

So, I was going to go against the grain on this.  I had laser eye correction and it's been a life changer. But, my PRK was paid for the USAF. I was in Iraq when my vision finally cleared completely and it was an amazing feeling.  However, doing some research, I agree that it very much depends on your age. 

Here are some numbers:

In 2013, the average cost overall for laser vision correction was $2,073 per eye (up from $1,941 the previous year). http://www.allaboutvision.com/visionsurgery/cost.htm

"someone who wears contacts will almost certainly save money by having LASIK. A conservative, average cost of contacts per year is generally about $240, though this can vary widely. People with astigmatism or who prefer certain contact lenses to others might pay more, for example. But over 20 years, a person paying this average price spends about $4,500 on contacts, assuming there is no inflation, which would increase the cost of contacts. Thus, LASIK pays for itself in 20 years or sooner with inflation. In 30 years, laser eye surgery will have paid for itself and saved the person about $2,700, or more with inflation."

"Someone in his 20s who buys a pair of $200 glasses every two years will therefore make back the cost of LASIK eye surgery in his 60s, or sooner with inflation."
http://www.lasik.com/articles/laser-eye-surgery-cost

[klystomane]

Due to poor vision, I have had glasses for several years.  While some form of vision correction is a necessity, I have been thinking about the cost of the different options trying to determine what is really the most Mustachian option.

Glasses - I currently believe this is the most Mustachian option since I get mine online.  Replace 2 pairs every 3 years or so.
Contacts - Expect higher cost than glasses.
Lasik - High up front cost, potential long term payback, as well as potential for complications.

In short, I have always used glasses.  I really think in the long term that glasses will be the cheapest option as I get mine through online sellers when they have deals, and they last me years. (Unless I run them over with a tractor again)  I am not unhappy with glasses, so it really does come down to cost.  My annual cost for glasses is probably $100-$150 on average, which covers sunglasses as well as normal glasses.  I think contacts while having a few extra benefits would be the most expensive option.  Lasik I expect could give glasses a run for the money, but I believe that you often end up needing re-correction after 10-15 years.  I also don't know if I like the invasive route or not, and it obviously has a high up front cost, and potential for complications.

Thoughts?

Sounds like you answered your own questions.

If cost is the only thing you're considering, I believe in terms of ROI (from best to worst), it's:

1. Glasses
2. Lasik
3. Contacts

Personally, I did Lasek (different from Lasik), was in excruciating pain for two days, would never do it again in the future, but am (at the moment) extremely glad that I did it.

I will go back to glasses when my eyes start to regress again due to age, but I'm excited about the idea of being glasses-free for hopefully the next decade or so.

[Schaefer Light]

I agree that glasses are the more mustachian option.  Cheaper over time, reusable, easy to put on/take off, can do double duty like eye protection/sunglasses.  A lot depends on the amount of correction you need and what you do for a living and for fun as well.  For instance, if you're sporty, glasses might not be the best bet.

This is my biggest hangup with glasses.  I find it damn near impossible to play golf wearing eyeglasses.

[aetherie]

I wore glasses in elementary/middle school, switched to contacts through high school and college, and got Lasik in 2013 (age 21). I agree with ysette9 - best decision ever. I love my 20/15 vision!

My (well-respected) doctor requires you to meet a bunch of criteria before she'll even consider you for Lasik:
- your prescription has to have been stable for at least 3 years, preferably 5
- your corneas have to be a certain thickness
- you can't have dry eyes
- and a few other things

Given all of that, the risks of complications or needing recorrection are very, very low. Reading glasses in your 40s, sure, but that's a different thing - your distance vision will still be great. So what I'm trying to say is that I highly recommend finding the best Lasik doctor in your area and getting evaluated to see if you're a good candidate (this should be free). If you're not, you can live happily ever after with your glasses or contacts. If you are, you have the option of a one-time procedure that will give you perfect vision for many years, so do more research and make an informed decision.

[Sibley]

I've had glasses/contacts since 6th grade, and we knew it was coming for several years before that. I wear contacts and absolutely hate glasses. My vision insurance ($7 per month) is wonderful - annual eye exam and full year of contacts with $0 out of pocket. This hasn't always been the case, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

I've been told that I'm not a good candidate for Lasik, etc at this time and I have to replace my glasses (which I wear when I can't do contacts for some reason) every 2-3 years to stay legal to drive. In addition, I can't get the less expensive glasses because of how bad my vision is. I have to get the ultra thin lenses, which are much more expensive than the standard (I'm not even given the option). Even so, my glasses are depressingly thick. I think I'll wait until I can't do the contacts anymore and see what options I have.

[TheOldestYoungMan]

I made it though 4 years of college on a single pair of contacts, although they did irritate a bit towards the end there.  I definitely spent less than $500.00 on vision stuff from 2001 to 2007.  So there's cheap ways to manage those costs.  My vision was pretty bad already in 2001 and it did get worse. 

In 2007 I was told I could no longer be corrected with contacts or glasses alone, they would need a combination of both.  I tried that for a couple of months, but I couldn't read at all and would get blinding headaches.  So I went to the best bona-fide medical eye doctor around and got him to agree to try the laser-eye thing.  I was not a good candidate and they had me sign all kinds of waivers, but once they actually got in there it turned out I had an extra thick cornea? or something, and they were able to easily correct me to 20/20 in both eyes.  I went in basically blind and then was able to see.  They had estimated the cost at $4500 but it ended up only costing around $3000.  I wasn't as happy about this as I should have been because I had dumped money into that medical expenses thing to pay for it, and ended up buying a crapton of cold medicine and band-aids with the balance.

Out of all the things I've ever spent money on, this was hands-down the best purchase of my life.  Even if I have to get it done again or eventually go blind anyways, I can now see in the shower again.  I can read until I fall asleep without waking up with gravel in my eyes from a dried out contact.

The only side effects is that direct sunlight is now ...bright... without sunglasses, and I only need headlights when driving at night so you can see me.  On a dark night with no moon and no lights nearby, I can still read comfortably, with no glasses :)

[mm1970]

First, I think it depends a bit on what age you are. Lasik usually does a fantastic job of correcting your vision but it cannot do anything about the natural aging process which leads many people to needing reading glasses later in life. That will happen or not regardless of whether you keep wearing glasses, contacts, or get Lasik. If you get Lasik early in life then you have many more years of total glasses-free vision to enjoy versus if you get it in your 40s, looking at potentially needing reading glasses in the near future.

When I did the calculations personally, glasses came out ahead money-wise. However for me, not wearing glasses has such an ENORMOUS quality-of-life value that Lasik has been one of the better things i have spent money on in a long time. (Note: I use the term "Lasik" loosely to mean Lasik, PRK, corneal implants, or other similar procedures depending on what you qualify for). Personally, I hated wearing glasses. Always having to clean them, they fog up when i run in the rain, the lack of peripherial vision, having to pay for and carry around two sets of glasses (sunglasses) all the time, not being able to see what time it is in the middle of the night, etc. I ADORE having perfect vision now.

You have your own values so make your decision accordingly.

I was going to respond, but ysette9 basically said everything I would have said.

My pre-laser eye surgery prescription was -7.00 and -7.25 on my left and right eyes respectively. (Doctor equated to 20/1200!!!) Absolutely blind to the world without corrective lenses.

These are a few of the things I no longer think about now that I no longer require glasses/contacts to see:

1) Opening eyes underwater (swimming, bathing, shower)
2) Eye irritation from contacts
3) Waking up in morning and immediately reaching for glasses/contacts
4) Wearing ski goggles when skiing (can't fit them over glasses)
5) Relying on prescription sunglasses in lieu of contacts
6) Buying/running out of contact solution/contacts
7) Damaging/loosing my glasses
8) Reading ANYTHING without corrective lenses
9) MANY OTHER THINGS

I have my laser eye surgery procedure just over 4 years ago at age 24 and haven't looked back. Vision hasn't moved from 20/15 since then.

I am so jealous.  I tried to have lasik - but I am not a good candidate.  I need a 72um correction and my corneas are too thin to make that correction.

[Beardog]

When I had my annual eye exam, I asked my doctor whether he personally would have Lasik surgery if other options were available, and he said No.  I also asked him which is safer for your eyes, wearing glasses or contacts.  He said glasses and he wears glasses himself.  Since I have the option of wearing glasses, I do that because based on his answers  I believe it's probably safest.

[step_away]

My eye prescription is very high (-10.5 for both eyes) that I dare not do LASIK.

It turns out contacts are cheaper than glasses at this prescription level.  I need a high index glasses which cost more ($100 online not including frames).  Also, my prescription changes enough that I'll need new glasses within a year or two.  Meanwhile I can get a pair of contacts for $40 (or $100 for disposables) that I could use for a year.

[NICE!]

Since I'm highly farsighted, a trustworthy & high quality LASIK doctor said he thought it was not a good option for me. I really respected the fact that they guy was effectively turning down something like 5 kilodollars and will follow his advice.

If it were feasible for my eyes, I'd pay top dollar to do it. Some things are far more important than money.

[Spork]

When I had my annual eye exam, I asked my doctor whether he personally would have Lasik surgery if other options were available, and he said No.  I also asked him which is safer for your eyes, wearing glasses or contacts.  He said glasses and he wears glasses himself.  Since I have the option of wearing glasses, I do that because based on his answers  I believe it's probably safest.

This is an observation I've made many times... how many optometrists and ophthalmologists opt for non surgical correction.  I asked one once about that and he said something to the effect of how his eyes were too important for the risk of lasik and that  "no one ever went blind from wearing glasses."

[bigalsmith101]

My pre-laser eye surgery prescription was -7.00 and -7.25 on my left and right eyes respectively. (Doctor equated to 20/1200!!!) Absolutely blind to the world without corrective lenses.
These are a few of the things I no longer think about now that I no longer require glasses/contacts to see:
1) Opening eyes underwater (swimming, bathing, shower)
2) Eye irritation from contacts
3) Waking up in morning and immediately reaching for glasses/contacts
4) Wearing ski goggles when skiing (can't fit them over glasses)
5) Relying on prescription sunglasses in lieu of contacts
6) Buying/running out of contact solution/contacts
7) Damaging/loosing my glasses
8) Reading ANYTHING without corrective lenses
9) MANY OTHER THINGS
I have my laser eye surgery procedure just over 4 years ago at age 24 and haven't looked back. Vision hasn't moved from 20/15 since then.

I am so jealous.  I tried to have lasik - but I am not a good candidate.  I need a 72um correction and my corneas are too thin to make that correction.

In a normal Lasik procedure, an incision is made and a flap of the eye's epithelium is pulled back for the laser correction of the cornea to take place, and the flap is then replaced allowing for optimal healing.

In my case, my corneas were close to the "to thin" point, and as such the "flap" layer of epithelium had to be removed (completely cut away), thus increasing my healing time from around 24hrs or less to nearly 7 days, as the epithelium had to grow back before the eye could see 20/20 again. I couldn't drive for 4 days, and was instructed not to open my eyes for 24hrs. My 20/15 vision took a month to manifest itself as the eye was still healing.

STILL TOTALLY WORTH IT.

[CAtoTX]

Okay, well I am going to chime in as one that spent the money on LASIK and had her vision slowly revert to crappy vision again (over 4 years).  Now I'm back to wearing glasses all the time again, with a second pair for reading.  They suggested another round of LASIK.  I can't stand the thought of having my eyeballs peeled like a grape AGAIN.  I'll manage and eventually have to get $$$$ progressives. 

[wtjbatman]

Of course glasses are cheaper but who wants to look like a nerd?

One year after LASIK and loving every minute of it. Completely worth the upfront expense.

[deborah]

Of course glasses are cheaper but who wants to look like a nerd?

Nerds! And aspiring nerds.

[NICE!]

Of course glasses are cheaper but who wants to look like a nerd?

One year after LASIK and loving every minute of it. Completely worth the upfront expense.

You're a nerd, nerd.

[wtjbatman]

Nerd fight, yo

[GeneralJinjur]

Nerd fight, yo

It's not a nerd fight til they bring up Apple vs. Microsoft.

If I were in my early 20s, I would certainly consider the surgery.  But, I'm 20 years past that and don't really see the point in paying gobs of money for surgery only to start wearing reading glasses in a year or three. When I was young, I didn't trust the surgical options enough to risk losing the clarity I have with my glasses.

[annegables]

Got LASIK at age 23 10 years ago.  Best $3000 I have ever spent, and I say that even having halos with night vision for two years.  Did you know that trees actually have leaves that people can see???  Honestly, until getting LASIK, I did not realize that people could see individual leaves on trees from farther than 5 feet away.  I would still do LASIK even if it meant that every 5 years I had to pay for it and get it done all over again.  And I am as frugal as they come.  I wore glasses/contacts from age 5 and LASIK changed my quality of life dramatically. 

[JohnGalt]

Like many others have said... this is one of those things that it wasn't really about the money for me.  It was a quality of life thing.  LASIK was the best $3,000 I ever spent.  I hated glasses and contacts.  Waking up in the morning and being able to see the clock still surprises me sometimes, 3 years later.  No hassle, perfect vision is priceless.

[TreeTired]

I tried Zenni optical (online) a couple of years ago.    To start out I decided to try their basic bare bones no frills glasses,  and paid $6.95   (No lens coatings, no anti glare, no anti scratch, no tints)  and much to my surprise I got a very nice looking comfortable functional pair of glasses for $6.95.    I have since bought several pairs of more expensive glasses, gosh... some were $25 and even $35 for my current favorite pair that has magnetic clip on sunshades.  It's a great alternative to $200, $300,  or even that $400 pair of progressives i have sitting unused in my drawer,  from Lenscrafters.

[Goldielocks]

Since I'm highly farsighted, a trustworthy & high quality LASIK doctor said he thought it was not a good option for me. I really respected the fact that they guy was effectively turning down something like 5 kilodollars and will follow his advice.

If it were feasible for my eyes, I'd pay top dollar to do it. Some things are far more important than money.

DH was also turned away from LASIK, with a -6.75 vision, and "pointy" football shaped eyes. (that is my term, not the doctors' ) The shape of the cornea combined with the level of correction would have created excessive night vision / bright light halos.  This was at the Gimbell eye centre, which was the leader at that time, so we believed them.  Implantable contact lenses was the best alternative for this, but at that time, cost nearly $12k, and we had only saved up the $5k.

[jmusic]

I made it though 4 years of college on a single pair of contacts, although they did irritate a bit towards the end there.  I definitely spent less than $500.00 on vision stuff from 2001 to 2007.  So there's cheap ways to manage those costs.  My vision was pretty bad already in 2001 and it did get worse. 

On the "frugal vs. cheap" spectrum, I'd put this firmly in the cheap camp.  Though my only experience with contacts has been the ones that are replaced monthly (or every six weeks!).  Otherwise I've worn glasses since age 12. 

[sarah8001]

I made it though 4 years of college on a single pair of contacts, although they did irritate a bit towards the end there.  I definitely spent less than $500.00 on vision stuff from 2001 to 2007.  So there's cheap ways to manage those costs.  My vision was pretty bad already in 2001 and it did get worse. 

On the "frugal vs. cheap" spectrum, I'd put this firmly in the cheap camp.  Though my only experience with contacts has been the ones that are replaced monthly (or every six weeks!).  Otherwise I've worn glasses since age 12.

As someone who's been wearing contacts for over a decade, four years does sound like waaaay too long for soft lenses. I've never worn hard lenses, so maybe that's different. I think people aren't giving contacts the credit they deserve. My contacts cost 15$ for six contacts, so lets say 5/pair. The box says change every two weeks, my doctor says every four weeks, but I usually change them when they get damaged or are too old and don't fit right, which comes to about every eight weeks. I've never had an infection, although they do happen occasionally to some people. So I'm spending less than 40$ per year on contacts. Even at every four weeks, as my doctor recommends, I'd come out pretty even with changing glasses every two or three years. You could also stretch your contacts farther, as the poster above did. Your actual statistical risk of negative consequences are pretty gosh darn low, no matter what scare tactics your doctor uses (mine always freak out when I say I wear my contacts in the shower, because it has a higher risk of getting an ameoboid infection comapred to no contacts, but still probably 1/100th the risk of dying every time I get behind the wheel of my car). Contacts have many advantages over glasses, like being able to wear cheaper sunglasses, goggles, they don't really fall out or get lost if they fit right, they are more convenient, if they get ruined, you're only out five bucks a pair. They aren't as unmustachian as you might think. It'd take decades to break even if I got Lasik.

[boarder42]

i had my lasik done a bit too young as my eyes werent done changing.  i had it done at 20 and now at 28 my left eye will have to be redone in the next few years.  but i couldnt imagine wearing glasses or contacts again... so much trouble.  lasik all the way... not the cheapest option but i dont think you can do better for a lifestyle choice.

[charis]

I maybe in the majority, but I like wearing glasses to work.  It sounds crazy, but people really do assume that someone in glasses is smart and serious, which is definitely a plus in my profession.  As a female lawyer, I would never go into the courtroom without wearing contacts instead of glasses if I could help it.  On the other hand, I like to run, so I rely on a hybrid of contacts and glasses.  My prescription hasn't changes so my glasses last up to 5 years, and I stretch my daily disposable contacts by only wearing them for a few hours at a time when I am working out or going out at night.  I spend 28 bucks for a year's worth of contacts and nothing on glasses (although I need to go get a pin replaced, which is a hassle, but free).

I would still consider Lasik for the convenience, if I got a really good deal from a very reputable doctor, but ultimately, I am not comfortable with the risks.  All of that plus my age, 35, makes the cons out weigh the pros.