If you can afford to do so, look into weekly training courses led by professional animal trainers. Many pet stores offer affordable courses for dogs and their owners. The main benefit of taking these classes is exposure to tried and true training methods; this makes this option ideal for new pet owners. Obedience school sessions can only give you the tools with which to train your dog yourself. Do not think of this as a substitute for doing the work of training; you must work with your dog outside the classroom regularly in order to see results. If you do not already know of training classes near you, search Craigslist or other online community boards for information about local dog obedience courses. Although some experts differ on their opinions of the best way to train a dog, many argue that positive reinforcement is the key to success. To do this, you must use a system of rewards to teach your dog that what he is doing is good. These can be doggy snacks, physical affection, verbal praise (such as exclaiming "good boy!"), or a combination of these things. For positive reinforcement to work, you must deliver the reward as quickly as possible following the good behavior. If you wait too long between your dog's action and the reward, he won't make the connection between the two. Many people find that using a clicker (a small device that makes a 'click' sound when squeezed) helps dogs associate their good behavior with rewards. Clicker training manuals and equipment can be found at your local pet store or online. There are lots of books out there devoted to the subject of dog training. These range from basic 'starter manuals' to in-depth analyses of pet psychology. In order to keep things as simple as possible for you and your dog, start out with a guide of some sort with tips you can clearly identify and follow. Be sure to find a book written by an expert on animal behavior. Check the credentials of the author by searching his or her name online. If your dog spends all night and most of the day in a crate by himself, he will be poorly socialized, bored, and have lots of pent up energy. Your dog needs to learn what behavior is acceptable and what is not, and he can't do this by being locked up all the time. An over-crated dog is often so relieved when he is let out that he has trouble containing his exuberance. Crates are best used as training tools for puppies. If at all possible, avoid locking your dog in a crate while you are at work or even overnight. With training, your dog's behavior will be good enough that you can trust him in the house unsupervised. Keep in mind that although a crate can keep your dog from destroying furniture or urinating in the house, it can't keep him from misbehaving altogether. A barking or howling dog is no fun to deal with all the time, and they can still do this from inside a crate. These can include "sit," "down," "stay," "heel," or whatever else you want. Teaching your dog to respond to commands establishes you as his leader and reinforces his tendency to want to pay attention to you. The key to making these commands stick is to use rewards and maintain consistency in their use. For example, don't use "down" to mean both "lie down" and "don't jump." Consider using a leash during vocal command training (even in the house). If your dog disobeys you or won't pay attention, a sharp tug on the leash will serve as a correction. Remember to reward your dog for responding appropriately to your commands (verbal or otherwise), even if this behavior immediately follows a corrective action (such as a leash tug). Otherwise, he will have no reason to obey you!
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One-sentence summary -- Enroll your dog in obedience school. Use lots of praise and rewards. Read a book on dog training. Minimize your dog's crate time. Teach your dog basic vocal commands.

Some optometrists feature frames in their office. They may fit your lenses in these for free or at a discounted rate. Before shopping around, you should know if their rate for bringing in an outside pair of frames will put the glasses out of your price range. It seems that the best prices will be at specialty or discount frames shops. However, you may find that the difference between these shops and your optometrist is negligible. After the fee for fitting your lens, warranties, and other considerations, you may be better off picking frames from your optometrist. If you only use your glasses minimally and at home, you may not feel the need to have a big insurance plan. Determine if you need to be able to get your frames repaired for free when comparing costs. There may be specialty frame shops that sell products much different than those offered by your optometrist. They may also be discounted enough that it vastly outweighs the benefits of picking a pair in your optometrist's office. Don't limit yourself to the prices and stock of one shop when picking out new frames.
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One-sentence summary --
Figure out your optometrist's rates for fitting your lenses. Look at optometrist's prices for frames. Look at other eye-care centers in the area for frames.