Obedience to reason is the foundation of liberty. Reason banishes slavery of self to materialism, to political correctness, to folly, and to range-of-the-moment consciousness known best by the hedonist.
A number of factors can change this estimate, including: Astigmatism. Contact lenses that correct astigmatism cost more than soft contacts that only correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. Soft contact lenses for astigmatism, called toric contacts, frequently retail for $50 to $70 for a box of six lenses. So if you replace your toric contact lenses every two weeks, your annual lens cost is roughly $500 to $700.
I had a contact fitting + eye exam for eyeglasses and paid $89 for it, not $49. I was happy with the service as Dr. Tomich (our Costco's independent optometrist) was the first eye doctor to spot my blatant astigmatism (I've had blurry vision for years and no one could figure it out - sad).