Whatever the reason for this, there's now a solution that renders most of our excuses moot: the EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker, a smartphone-enabled vision testing kit that costs less than the average monthly cellphone bill.

What sets it apart from other smartphone-based eye exam kits – such as the SVOne by New York-based Smart Vision Labs, and Peek – is that it is designed for frequent consumer use.

At close to US$4,000, SVOne is targeted at helping eye doctors slash their expenses by providing comparable equipment for a fraction of the cost of conventional eye-testing devices, which can cost as much as $40,000. Peek, on the other hand, is a visual acuity test designed for use in developing countries.