I have to have my eyes checked at the eye clinic each year due to a glaucoma risk. I have extremely poor eyesight but wearing contact lenses is the answer - worn them since 1973. £300-500 for glasses? You must be joking! My last pair (bought a couple of months ago after a nine year gap) cost £120 - and that's with the thinnest lenses available (essential with my prescription). Just go when there's a special offer on. I pay around £10 for a pair of reading glasses, buying them online. Got a great, slim pair with a cigar-tube case that fits easily in the pocket.