Cheap contact lenses

Many opt for monthly direct debit schemes from high street opticians which include lenses, solution and aftercare appointments for one fixed fee. These can offer good value, but may also be beaten by buying lenses and solutions online for less and paying for aftercare separately, so do check.

For example, at the time of writing, One-Day Acuvue moist lenses cost £31/month on Boots' monthly scheme. Yet you can get them online for around £300 for a year's supply at the time of writing. Tesco offers contact lens aftercare for £15. So factor in the aftercare and you can still save £57 over a year.

Remember though many high street opticians also offer money off glasses, free sight tests and annual health checks, so they can be cost-effective if you'll use all the extras.

The General Optical Council says UK regulations mean online contact lens sellers must have optical professionals involved in the selling of lenses.

To check, ask the seller who its registered optician is, then check the name against the General Optical Council's register.

A number of online lens retailers operate from overseas – including from the Channel Islands. While they can be cheaper, beware of extra charges and diminished consumer rights.

• Import duty. You may need to pay import duty on top of postage and packing costs. Delivery can take time and add to your costs. To work out how much duty and VAT you may have to pay, use this handy Duty Calculator. 

• Reliability and consumer rights. They're outside the UK's regulatory framework, so you've less comeback if things go wrong. While there's nothing innately less reliable about companies based in other countries, you have fewer consumer rights and a more distant relationship with them. So if things go wrong it's much more difficult to enforce your rights.

• Exchange rates. If buying lenses from the Channel Islands, the price of lenses will be in pounds. But the price of lenses from the US will be in dollars, and therefore the amount you pay depends on the exchange rate. This can have a massive impact on whether it's competitive to buy from overseas or not.
  

Monthly lenses can be cheaper than dailies, depending on how often you wear 'em. However, you can't simply order the monthly version of the lenses with your existing prescription – you'll have to get properly fitted for the monthly version before you can buy. Always check with your optician whether they're suitable first.