Cheap eyeglasses in Slope or nearby?

Costco!

Lens Crafters - they do cheap, and they don't suck
and they do "progressives" which is what you're talking about with multi focal lengths

they're all over the city, and on Court St

and yeah, if your uncle's frames are in good shape (not dried out or something) you can prolly use them. Your prescription won't work with a curved lens for instance.
the optician might warn you about "not responsible for damage"

FWIW, I've been wearing progressives for many years, and have had no problems with peripheral vision.

ditto what booklaw said - I have worn progressives for the last 5 years and now wear the most expensive variety - my insurance covered very little of the cost of the lenses - but I love them - can see everything all the time - reading, computer and distance. But you are right - they are not cheap.

Here's a valuable hint - don't let the eyeglass company up-sell you on coatings - just get plain clear lenses - they'll last longer and won't get so scratched - it's the coating that ends up getting scratched, not the glass lenses.

Costco is far and away cheaper than anything. My bifocal lenses, polycarbonate with AR coat. I'm not sure but you might not have to be a member to get glasses there, I know you don't to get prescriptions filled

Polycarbonate is UV and scratch resistant without coatings and is thinner for the same prescription as regular CR-39

RE Progressive lenses: If you are an eye mover and not a head mover, that is your eyes move instead of your whole head when you follow something you might prefer regular bifocals since the field of focus is so small

camaysar wrote: The only time I want to look aside without moving my head is when I'm checking someone out on the subway

The head mover/eye mover thing is a matter of what you do naturally. We've all done that extreme glance to the side without moving our head. Have someone watch you as you read to see if you move your head or eyes. Unless you naturally move your head you'll probably have some some retraining to do. My wife tried progressives for the first time and switched to a standard flat top bifocal and much prefers them. I've been wearing bifocals for years, flat top 35mm, which is bigger than standard. My optician has always diswayed me from progressives.

camaysar wrote: I would hope that actual lenses, compared to magnifiers, have a greater depth of field. Otherwise I'd need trifocals! Anyway, still investigating...

The only advantage to having a prescription ground over "drug strore" readers is if your eye are different enough or you have an astigmatism. Or if you feel you want something fancier

The depth of field issue is as we become older are eyes loose the ability to focus more closely. Whether a pair of glasses has your prescription or is just an off the shelf 1.50 diopter magnification won't change the depth of field you perceive.

Also going back a rereading your original post it seems silly to talk about bifocals since it seems as if you do not wear glasses normally for distance unless you are just looking for convenience. You could have "plano" glasses, that is no prescription, with a reading prescription in the bottom.. In fact my first pair of bifocals was like this, except the other way around. I am near sighted and wuld always talk off my glasses to read or do close work so I had a pair of bifocals made with my regular prescription but with planos in the reading part just so I didn't have to keep taking my glasses off and putting them back on just to read the label on a can of soup in the store.

But for reading I want a regular pair of glasses with my reading prescription in them so I look straight ahead to read, not down through the bifocal. I did try having computer glasses made once, bifocals with intermediate in the top and near reading the bottom. I didn't find them worth the money. You should start by getting a thorough eye exam with either an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist and discussing with him or her your needs and concerns and if you need correction to warrant the expense of prescription lenses