Glasses should not be this pricey

Opticians cite quality and service but no one wants to talk about the business monopoly that enables cutthroat pricing

Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash

The Common Price for Glasses

I’ve been wearing glasses since primary school.

Growing up, that meant sporting an inevitably geeky look (at 10, I obviously had no clue how to make a fashion statement with my frames!).

Now, wearing glasses means slight marks on the sides of my nose. Being blinded by heavy rain or snowfall. Not being able to cook without steam fogging up my lenses. Wishing cinemas offered clip on 3D lenses. Having to be inventive when applying eye shadow and mascara.

I’ve had time to get used to these experiences, having learned to get around some of the problems they pose by adopting a few hacks (fellow glasses wearers, who didn’t, in the past year or two, google ‘how to stop glasses fogging up while wearing a face mask?’) and no longer cry out for contacts.

But there’s one thing I can’t arrange myself with, no matter how much time passes-the cost of replacing or buying new glasses.

There are definitely things worth higher prices. Organic food. Quality skincare. Shoes that last for decades. Holidays. But…