This blog post has been sponsored by VisionDirect.co.uk.

Contact lenses are mostly plastic and some are designed to only last a day and then go in the bin along with the packaging they came in. Because of this I’m not a huge fan of them. I recognise though that for some people they will be a non-negotiable and although they may be happy to reduce waste in lots of areas, this might not be one of them. If you are going to wear contact lenses you can buy longer lasting ones (i.e. not daily disposable ones) to help reduce the amount of lenses and packaging going in the bin. The costs of contact lenses can mount up too and VisionDirect.co.uk say that you can save hundreds by shopping for contact lenses online compared to on the high street.

Here are 5 tips to save money on contact lenses:

1. Before you book an eye test, check to see if you are entitled to a free eye test for any reason. Some people will qualify for a free NHS funded eye test and lots of work places will also pay for eye tests. Even if you aren’t entitled to a free eye test, it is worth looking out for special offers from the opticians as they offer free eye tests from time to time.
2. Don’t buy anything straight away after your test. Ask for your prescription to see what it is that you need before you make any decisions.
3. Price check the in store costs against the online costs of contact lenses to see what is the most cost effective. You can even price check against optician own brand prices with the help of this handy  Opticians own brand contact lenses equivalents checker.
4. There are lots of different options when it comes to contact lenses. Packages from the opticians which include eye tests can seem like a good deal, but it is worth checking them against the cost of paying for eye tests separately (if you aren’t eligible for free ones) and buying the lenses separately online.
5. Factor in the way you choose to wear contact lenses into your buying choice. Bulk buying long lasting ones may work out a good deal and help to reduce waste if you wear them every day. However you may actually end up with more waste if you only want to wear them on special occasions because the lenses last longer than you need and your prescription may change before you get around to using them all.

So if contact lenses are a non-negotiable for you, make sure you think about the way you want to use them and shop around to get the best deal on them before you make any decisions.