There is an article that confirms what most people suspect:
Alternet: Wow -- the Eyewear Industry Is an Incredible Ripoff, But There Are Alternatives

Eyeglasses are an artificial ripoff because one corporation, Luxottica, based in Milan, Italy has a global vertical monopoly on much of the manufacture, retailing, insurance and and licensing of eyeglasses causing high artificial markups.

That article mentions several websites that sell outside of the Luxottica monopoly for much less. I personally went with ZenniOptical:
https://www.zennioptical.com/

But they also mention:
https://www.39dollarglasses.com/
https://www.goggles4u.com/

And this review site:
https://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/

I got a hookup since my bro works at a retina specialist who gave me a free eye exam. I decided to order memory Titantium glasses(the kind that can bend around your finger and snap back to remember its shape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myd_Wui3q1s). Here is my cost breakdown:

Frame 210121 $12.95
Color

Prescription Type Single Vision
PD-Pupillary Distance 65
Lens 1.59 PC(Polycarbonate, this is an extra meaning that the lens cannot shatter) Single Vision $9.00
AR Anti-Reflection Coating Anti Reflection Coating (another extra too cheap to pass) $4.95
Extra Strength Charge (This is extra charge is because I choose memory titanium I think) $16.00
Unit Price $42.90
Quantity 1
Sub Total $42.90

Subtotal $42.90
Shipping & Handling $4.95
Grand Total $47.85

They still have not arrived as it could take up to 2 weeks, but I am excited. I do alot of active stuff like mountain biking, kayaking, running at times and eventually after years glasses fall down, you have to adjust the frame to fit your face, etc. The frames come to get bent out of shape and look asymmetrical no matter what adjustment you happen to make. Not only are these dirt cheap(I believe memory titanium is $300+ retail for just the frame), but hopefully years later this frame will still have its proper shape.

I bought my glasses at Kroger grocery for $19.95. I see my eye specialist twice a year.
He says as long as I can see well with them to go ahead & use them.
Iwear glasses only for reading & sewing.

Those are not the same. Those don't contain custom lenses created based on your eye exam test. Just about everyone knows about those cheap reading glasses already they are in many supermarkets and sometimes even dollar stores. The lenses are not crafted to your pupillary distance(PD, distance between the pupils) like these.

Before I thought of looking for other pairs made in other materials materials, I was about to get some steal glasses with the same $13 frame cost, but without the extra-strength cost of the memory titanium I settled on. It would have had the same extras for the lenses, which is Polycarbonate(so they don't shatter in my face if they ever break) and anti-reflection for $26(not including shipping and tax). But you can find even cheaper, they have many frames that only cost $7. If you don't opt for the extras I choose for the lenses, you can pay $14 less. But I am not THAT poor so the extras are worth it to me.

For the price you get more from these online glasses, provided you can find some way to get a low cost or free eye exam, which I thankfully managed.

About a month ago I figured it was time to get my eyes examined. Well actually only one because I have an artificial eye, you would think I should be able to get an examine for half price. But haven�t been able to talk them into that.
Anyway the lens on my old glasses had a number of fine scratches that were becoming annoying plus I could tell I needed a slight tweak in the prescription.

Got the exam and had them just replace the lens on one pair of glasses. They had the new lens within 3 days but it was $99 for just the lens, the exam was extra.

I like to have two pairs so I had already decided to try one of the above glasses�for-less companies listed above for the second one.

I went with the Goggles4U.
Lots of different styles to choose from, way more then my local guy, of course there�s no way I would consider wearing half of them. But if you are looking for something �different� they probably have it.

Not being all that concerned about style I when with a plain brown and gold metal frame. ($9.95) I did opt for the deluxe polycarbonate lens with the supposed scratch resistant coating, of course I don�t seem to have too much trouble scratching them. That added an extra $15.95. Plus $4.95 shipping and the grant total was just under $31.

They look to be well made, fit, and work as good as my $99 lens.
I would recommend them to anyone that needs new glasses.
On the negative side you cannot be in a rush to get them as they took over 3 weeks to here.

My daughter generally wears contacts, but she buys her glasses online too.

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