I am newly diagnosed Type 2. I bought the Freestyle monitor and test strips because a friend recommended them and stupidly, I didn't do any research. The test strips are crazy expensive (and you can all collectively say DUH! now ). Can anyone recommend anything dependable that's also slightly more affordable? Or maybe a better source for buying test strips?

Meanwhile, I have nine hundred books on Type 2 Diabetes that I need to finish reading.

Hi Second Half. If you have insurance, you can check with them and see what test strips have the lowest copay. If you buy their test strips, most companies will give you a free meter. If that is still too high for you, you can go to Walmart and get a REliOn Prime meter and test strips. They are what I use, because my insurance does not allow enough test strips for type 2s for the number of tests I want to do per day. No meter is 100% correct, but most will give you a ball park number which will give you an idea how well you're doing. I forget how much the meter cost, but the strips are $9 for a box of 50. I usually buy 2 boxes at a time.

I would like to invite you over the the monthly chat thread we have going. There are several of us who check in with each other regularly and compare notes on our diabetes care. It's a great place to learn.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/diab...pril-chat.html

I second the recommendation for the Relion meters and strips. I am prediabetic so no coverage....burns me up, why not put money into preventing? I could get on a soapbox! Anyway, yes, they are much more affordable than the name brands. I do find my meter runs higher than when my blood is drawn but I can still tell whether it's high or normal and how it is trending. Please join us in the chat group!

Hello and thanks! I don't know why I didn't think to check with my insurance

I will go check out the chat thread! I am trying to read all these various books but good grief, so boring. I am sure I can learn more from your combined experience than I will get out of these books. They all seem to have the same 200 + pages of "what is diabetes." I know what it IS. Tell me what to DO.

My doctor gave me a Freestyle. The cheapest strips I found were at Amazon but those are not nearly as cheap as these Relions you guys are talking about. Thanks for the heads up!

Freestyle Strips - google their customer service program on their website. You can sign up for a program with them where they reimburse you a bunch of $$ when you buy them. You may not decide to keep buying them, but at least might be able to get some $ for what you already bought!

JLUS, I am just seeing this. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

I am calling my insurance company this morning because I'm low on strips so I'll decide what to do today.

Thanks again!

Kris, I have a Freestyle and I like it but don't want to pay for the strips. I started out with a Bayer meter that they gave me at the hospital. I checked with my insurance and found that the One Touch strips were cheaper so I used that for years. Once I retired, Medicare didn't pay as much toward the strips. I bought a store brand meter at Target, but the price of their strips kept going up. Then I heard about Relion and have been using them ever since. It's possible that the brand name meters and strips are more accurate, but for me, it's good enough. I know that if I get a number of say, 120, that's a lot better than 190, and if it's not exact, at least it's in the ball park.

Can you buy the relion strips without a prescription? Those are super cheap! I had an accu-chek meter but the lancet broke and you can't buy just the lancet pfft so I had to buy a whole new meter and just bought the One Touch Ultra but the strips are very expensive still.

No prescription is needed for the Relion Meter or strips. They are right out on the counter...at my Walmart, right in front on the pharmacy. I buy 2 50ct boxes at a time. No meter is considered 100% accurate, but it's enough to give you an idea of what your reading is.

They are so great Moonkissed! Cheap, out in the open (no waiting).....fabulous!

Thanks! Next time Im in Walmart I will get it and see how the numbers compare to mine. Even if it is reliably off by an X amount I'll know so it will be helpful. Ill use them to test extra with

My Prime meter runs slightly high (I took it to my last lab draw and tested right after my bood draw) but I know how high it runs so I still know if I'm high or low and obviously still see trends