So, yesterday morning we drove into Ottawa again. We had an 11:45am get together with my mom and sister, and I figured that we would stop at an optician ahead of that. But when I looked them up, they don't open until 11:00am, and I figured that might not give us enough time.
So we met with my mom and sister and had a good visit, then went to the Hakim Optical store in the Carlingwood Shopping Center.
That was the first time we've been inside a shopping mall since the whole Covid thing started. Fortunately, there was hardly anybody in there. And there was nobody in the Hakim Optical store except for a girl behind the counter and a girl working in the back.
I explained the story with my glasses, which didn't really take much explaining once she saw that they were on my face with only one arm, and the other side being held together with electrical tape!
Now, let's back up to Mexico in March of 2018 when I bought these glasses. They were progressive lenses. I had ordered them at 11:30am, and they were ready for pickup at 4:00pm. They cost $230 CAD ($170 USD) and included the eye exam.
But, we are not in Mexico anymore!
Here in Canada, if you want to have an eye exam in order to confirm your current prescription, it is minimum $70, and more than likely over $100. Just for the exam. I didn't bother even asking at Hakim, because I don't think my prescription has changed.
So we start talking about glasses. The cheapest frames they have are $199 CAD. They can't be serious. But they were definitely serious. Then, for progressive lenses you can add another $276 CAD, for a total cost of the cheapest progressive lensed glasses they sell at $475 CAD ($355 USD). And Hakim is supposed to be one of the cheaper places to get glasses. Having said all of that, I wasn't surprised by the pricing and it was about what I expected.
But the real kicker?
They would not be ready to pickup for 10 to 14 days!
In Mexico, I can get them for half the price, and they are ready in 5 hours.
And some people call Mexico a third world country. Too funny.
I refuse to pay the outrageous fees that dentists charge in Canada, and apparently I'm not playing that game with opticians here either.
While Germany is not a cheap country, we do plan to be in some cheaper countries in November. Turkey, Greece, Ghana... all places where I can buy a pair of glasses at a reasonable price. So I can make do until then. Ruth had saved an old pair of my glasses that are good for driving, and I will buy some cheap drug store reading glasses for doing computer and book work.
I had even thought about ordering some from one of the online sellers, but we leave Canada two weeks from Sunday and they may or may not show up in time. If we were staying longer, I definitely would have gone that route.
After that, we went for a visit with Ruth's dad. They have some stricter regulations in place now because Covid numbers here in Ottawa are back near the April highs as the "second wave" is passing through here. So if we want to be in the building, we have to wear a mask as well as a visor. I looked in the mirror with that getup on, and I feel like I'm visiting from outer space.
Well, you can have cheap glasses in China also .I got mine for less than $20.00 and the same day. In Canada cheap glasses are at Cotsco :O)
ReplyDeleteWe have order our glasses online before and they came from China but unfortunately the delivery time is too close to our departure date so we don't want to take that chance. We don't do Costco and I would expect because Kevin wants progressive lenses that we would have the same issue with the delivery being too close to when we leave.
DeleteI think that we have things sorted out now, so we can wait until we get somewhere this winter where we can get the glasses at a good price.
If you mostly need them for reading or working on computer try looking at Shoppers Drug Mart or even Walmart. You can get glasses pretty cheap of the shelf. Usually they will have then in a rotating display rack. They are different strengths so you might have to try on a few pairs to see what one is best for your eyesight.
ReplyDeleteI think that was what Kevin was going to do. Now that I found his old glasses that he used for driving before getting the progressive ones and they still work well, now all he needs are some "cheap" readers which he will pick up at Shoppers or Walmart until we can get him a decent pair of progressives again at a decent price. :-)
DeleteWalmart reading glasses cost $5 (US)
ReplyDeleteYes, he could pick up a cheap pair or two there or at the Dollar Store or some other similar type of place. :-)
DeleteCheck out the optical center at WALMART
ReplyDeleteHe has decided to just get a cheap pair of readers for now and wait until this winter to get a decent pair of progressive glasses/lenses at a good price, rather than buy them here in Canada.
DeleteI got glasses at Superstore, with a discount for having an Optimum points card, and another for CAA membership, the original price of the frames was only $69, and the lenses were loaded with all of the add-ons, the total was just over $100. For reading glasses, the dollar store sells them for, you guessed it, $1.
ReplyDeleteWe have decided to wait until we get to somewhere this winter to get a decent pair of progressive glasses for Kevin, until then he will just use the glasses that I found for driving and he will buy himself a pair or two of "cheap" readers.
DeleteThis may have implications for you if your offical resident is Ontario
ReplyDeleteThe Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA) is pleased to announce that we have won our legal challenge against the Ontario Government and their illegal termination of emergency out-of-country insurance coverage for Ontario residents. In a unanimous decision, the Ontario Divisional Court in Canadian Snowbirds Association Inc. v. Attorney General of Ontariostruck down part of Ontario Regulation 259 which terminated OHIP’s Out-of-Country Travellers Program (OOCTP). In that decision, the Court found that, under the Ontario Health Insurance Act, the Lieutenant Governor in Council does not have the legal authority to enact regulations which would revoke the OOCTP.On January 1, 2020, in an unprecedented move, the Ontario Government proceeded with their plans to eliminate the Out-of-Country Travellers Program, which provided reimbursement for Ontario residents who faced medical emergencies while travelling outside of the country. This policy change made Ontario the only jurisdiction in Canada to cut all emergency medical coverage for residents travelling abroad.The Court’s ruling reinstates this important coverage for travelling Ontarians, restoring reimbursement rates to $200 and $400 per day for emergency inpatient services and up to $50 per day for emergency outpatient services. While the CSA continues to advise travellers to obtain adequate travel medical insurance prior to all trips abroad, re-establishing coverage will lower insurance premiums, making travel more affordable, particularly for seniors in the province.Under the Ontario Health Insurance Act, the legislation which governs the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, corresponding regulations cannot include any provision which violates any of the five pillars of the Canada Health Act. One of the five pillars of the CHA is portability, which requires provincial and territorial health insurance plans to provide coverage for insured health services for residents who are temporarily absent from their home province or territory or from Canada. If insured persons are temporarily absent in another province or territory, the portability criterion requires that insured services be paid at the host province's rate. If insured persons are temporarily out of the country, insured services are to be paid at the home province's rate.The CSA remains hopeful that the Ontario Government will respect the Court’s decision and not seek an appeal, as it did most recently in the court case regarding the government’s mandatory gas-pump decals.While this is a clear victory for Ontario travellers, there is still much work to be done. The vast majority of provinces, including Ontario, still fail to meet the reimbursement threshold set by the Canada Health Act. The association will continue to lobby the provinces on this issue until they begin reimbursing out-of-country emergencies at in-province rates as mandated by the Canada Health Act.We would like to take this time to thank our members for their support of this critical legal action. The association received donations to our Special Action Fund from across Canada and without your generosity, this win would not be possible. This court ruling is not only a win for snowbirds in Ontario, but it is a win for snowbirds across our country, as this decision will signal to other jurisdictions considering similar cuts to coverage that we will not back down.The full text of the decision can be read here.Sincerely,Karen HuestisPresidentThe Canadian Snowbird AssociationThe Voice of Travelling Canadianswww.snowbirds.org
Nope, it doesn't affect us at all. We are Saskatchewan residents now!
DeleteI've been getting my progressive glasses online for 15 years now, usually $40-60 a pair. I still have to shell out $70-100 for the overpriced US prescription every few years. A huge plus is the wide selection of online frames and published dimensions. My rx calls for thicker lenses, so I need a really small frame to keep the weight down and them sliding down my nose. That NEVER happened with boutique pairs.
ReplyDeleteWe have each had two sets of online glasses and other than Kevin having a problem with the focal point being a little off on one pair we have been happy with them and he was all set to buy a new pair that way but the delivery time was too close to our departure date.
DeleteThe last progressive glasses I bought in the US was at Walmart optical center. They have some really inexpensive frames (as well as high-end designer ones). I paid something like $29 for the frames. However, the progressive lenses were as expensive as what you were quoted, maybe more, because I always go for the ones that darken outdoors (Transitions), which adds cost. Cheaper than a separate pair of Rx sunglasses, though. My most recent pair of glasses I bought at Costco in Merida, Yucatan, and they were close to $400 US with moderate-priced frames and all the bells and whistles on the lenses (Progressive, Transitions, high-index, anti-reflective), and the eye exam was included. Glad you found a solution until you can get to a cheaper spot!
ReplyDeleteYep, the progressive lenses definitely add quite a bit to the price. I have decided to just wait until we find somewhere this winter to either buy another good pair of progressives or possibly even look into getting the Lasik eye surgery done providing our eyes can have that procedure done, then we won't even have to worry about glasses other than sunglasses. :-)
DeleteSounds like you got a decent deal on your new glasses. I have been very happy with the ones that I got in Patzcuaro this past winter.
Boy, that's nutty. Viva Mexico!
ReplyDeleteWe totally agree with you Chris! :-)
DeleteIs there a Costco in your neighborhood here in the US you can go to Costco sam’s Club and BJ’s and get pharmacy prescriptions and glasses without being a member
ReplyDeleteAlso you can go to Walmart they have glasses
If you have a good pair of frames that you like you could probably have them make the glasses to fit the frame and ship to you in Germany if you wait until you get to Germany See if there is a Walmart in the town that you’re going to
There is a frame making manufacturer I believe in Switzerland that makes all the framesfor all the large companies that they’ve bought up so they have a monopoly on it
there’s only a few companies that don’t there a better discount
My lenses an my frame was $190 at BJ’s wholesale In the US your prescription can’t be more than 2 years old But you need the prescription for the optometrist
Yes, we have Costco not too far away but again the delivery time would be too close to our departure time and no, we won't have them shipped to Germany.
DeleteWe have it all worked out now. Kevin has a pair of glasses that he can use for driving and he will buy a pair of readers. This will work until we find a place where we can get a decent pair of progressive glasses/lenses at a decent price or maybe we will even check into getting the Lasik eye surgery done and then we can do away with glasses altogether. :-)
Have you seen the commercials for glue set by UV light (invented by a dentist)?
ReplyDeleteYou might look for it at the dollar store or Walmart. It comes with the light to harden the glue.
Lol, no we haven't because we don't watch TV! :-)
DeleteMaybe Kevin will look into that, I am not sure how sturdy the glasses would be though. Anyways it looks like he will be fine if he just goes out and buys some readers because the other pair of glasses I found of his are good for driving. Thanks for the suggestion.