I've been using cheap strips for a couple of months now. I've found that technique is very important for getting the most accurate readings possible.

I follow the method recommended by my meter.

1) Make sure finger is clean and dry
2) After the poke, wipe away the 1st drop and squeeze out a second
3) Get a good sized sample to form a nice raised drop
4) Stick the tip of the strip into the blood drop without smearing it.

That last 2 steps were key for me. I found that I would get inaccurate readings if the sample was too small -- or I missed the drop and smeared my sample. Improving my technique has significantly improved the accuracy of my cheap strips. I still get a dud now and then, but it is usually very obvious. Even when I do 2 good tests in a row on the same finger - the results seldom match. But they are usually within 3 to 5 points of each other. That is plenty good enough for my purposes.

Hi Ken,
what brand do you use? i keep reading you are not supposed to squeeze blood out but that is the only way I can get a decent sized drop.

Walmart is around $16 for just the meter, and $18 for 100 strips. So the kit on ADW, even with $4 in shipping, is less (only $23) 100 strips by themselves also $19.49. ADW Service is good. but no experience with True's accuracy yet.

What brand strips are you using, Ken? I use the same procedure you do but, like Whited, my readings can be 25 points apart. I do think different brands have different tolerances. I've been testing my blood sugar for >5 years and have had more bad readings in the past few months than I have in the 5 previous years. The last time I had readings like this was when I tried Relion. The strips were later recalled and my month's data became invalid.

I use Advocate Redi-Code strips and meter.
Advocate Redi-Code Strips on Amazon
Here is the meter I use

These are about as cheap as they come, but I am satisfied with their reliability for the most part. Because they are cheap, I test a lot -- with many readings post dinner when my BG should be elevated. I posted a chart a few days ago in my journal of my January results through the 10th. My overall BG average for the month is 94. If this number is even close to accurate and I maintain this average, my next A1C should be in the upper 4's. That is scheduled for March. I'm looking forward to getting confirmation that all this finger poking has been worth the effort.

I was thinking about trying the TRUE strips next time I buy. The price is right and I think it might be good to test with 2 different meters to see if they agree. Let me know how you like them.

BTW: My daughter Kassie just started testing her BG, just out of curiosity. She is young, healthy, and still 100% on plan with her LCHF WOE. Her fasting BG is in the upper 60's or low 70's every day. Her post-dinner readings rarely crack into the 90s. That seems low, but she was getting the same readings with my Mom's meter when she visited. So she is in much better shape than me when it comes to BG. Perhaps my sugar abuse of the last 30 years had something to do with it. I'd be curious to find out what her readings would be after a carb loaded meal? But I would not ask that of her -- she is on plan and doing well. Why mess with it?

oh I feel that pain I have a true track and I get different blood readings up to 40 points every day I typically have to test three times and get an average.

I could just kick myself right now reading this thread title! I had a lab blood draw this morning and meant to test at home just before it with my new TrueBalance to compare accuracy. Completely slipped my mind! my excuse is caffeine addiction I was awake for about four hours only sipping hot water and had a headache (never have them)...think I have increased my already large amounts of coffee with IF and now my brain only runs on caffeine.
If I repeat a home test right away it is usually less than 5-10 points away from the first one...Not getting wide differences in results with TrueBalance. After using the NovaMax my only complaint is True takes a slightly larger drop of blood to work. I have a hard enough time getting any blood at all out, so more errors.

Brilliant! I have got to test my blood at office when they test mine

Janet, why did you switch from Nova to True? Was it the accuracy or the cost? I'm seeing my doc next week and expect her to run FBS, A1c and insulin. I'll be taking my meter in my purse (if I remember!). My errors with Nova seem to be fewer these days, but occasionally 20-30 points difference. It really undermines my confidence in home testing.

I wondered if the combo of ketone and glucose made them both less accurate for their one function. But when I had the True and used up last of my Nova glucose strips, the two meters were very close, again maybe only 5 points apart. But the refills are cheaper with True, and this bargin Intro package deal will last me a long time. More than once, the bargin meter kit deals on Amer Diabetes Warehouse have been cheaper than the refills for the same amount of strips. (Like the scam with printers and the cost of ink cartridges )
Oh, and btw, the TrueBalAnce kit had 120 strips..there were 2 bottles of ten in with it, and a lancet, the whole shebang...no idea why but not complaining.

I'm been experimenting with three meters on every blood check -- comparing them. The first is the Freestyle freedom lite which Dr. Bernstein recommends now. But it is very expensive -- strips cost $1 each -- that's if you find them cheap. At the Wa-lmart pharmacy a box of 50 is $77. The other two I'm using are the Wal-mart brands, Relion prime and Relion micro. What I've found is that the Wal-mart brands are almost always higher that the Freestyle usually for up to 10 points or more.

If you already kind of know where you are I think the cheaper brands are ok. I might use the Freestyle only occasionly as the cost is prohibitive.

I use Walmart Relion Prime. Have tested it against my doctor's device and it was within 4 mg/dl. The readings are almost always internally consistent - about what I expect to see given the food I ate. About one test strip in 25 fails completely (registers nothing). For convenience, and because I always seem to be testing some theory - and needing extra strips - it works for me.

I have an alternate theory about what happened (post #1). I wonder if, because it was very very cold in the car, your ever-helpful liver decided you needed an extra large BG dump to support you in that time of physical stress. I have caught my liver "helping" me out that way a few times.

I went to the doctor today to talk about why my blood glucose seemed to be increasing despite my strict compliance with low carb. Since they were doing blood work, I asked if I could calibrate my meter with the blood draw results. My doctor thought that was a good idea. When I got the lab, the tech thought it would be a better comparison if she used a finger prick meter similar to mine for the comparison. Her brand was True Result by McKesson.

First she had me take my glucose using my meter. The result was 94. Then she took it using a new stick, on a different finger. Her results: 72. She scratched her head for a minute, then decided to retest. She stuck a third finger and her results were 73.

So now I'm left scratching MY head. It seems clear my meter is showing higher than actual readings. I wonder if it is running 20 pts over across the board, or if its a percentage thing. But for now, I will chuck my current meter (nova) and probably go with one of the True meters (if it's good enough for my clinic, it should be good enough for me).

They also drew blood for my A1c and if it has improved to normal levels, I may just continue eating as I do now and discontinue monitoring at home altogether.

Thanks, That is a very useful info...it will be interesting to see what the lab result is. Good to know they use a True also...there are a number of versions of True and think I read True is often the manufacturer for the store brands, e.g. Walgreens? Great Numbers, Liz!

And your PPs are good too. I cling to those decent readings for me and hope more fiber carbs over time will turn things around. Last night after a good amount of baby carrots, hummus and coleslaw with a protein, my 30 min was 105 and 60 min 98. Not out of the park good, but more carbs than I have been eating these past years barely make my BG budge.

Yeah, my PPs have always been pretty good - seldom out of the 110s unless I eat something clearly off plan (which has been 30+ days). But I wonder if they are really lower by 20 pts as well.

I looked a the True--------(fill in the blank) site last night and yes, they say they make the meters for several drugstores and showed the picture of the Walgreen's version. It seems like someone on this thread said they used a CVS meter - perhaps it is manufactured by True/McKisson as well.

I ended up ordering a True Balance. It's coming from Florida so I probably won't get it till the end of next week and I guess I'll use up my nova strips in the meantime, taking the readings with a huge grain of salt.

I made crackslaw the night before last with cabbage, a bit of carrot, onion and WFM home-made sausage (in lieu of the simple ground pork I usually use) which probably contained some sugar (who knows how much? no nutritional label). It sent my PPs up to 129/118/112 at 1 hr/2 hr/3 hr. Of course now those readings are suspect, but my point is that cabbage or crackslaw is one of the things that raises my glucose more than I would expect for the number of carbs.

Dennis here -- ladies, please keep us posted on your restults with the True meter, Like I said I called Dr. Berstein (he answered personally) and he now endorses the Freestyle as most accurate. But they are so expensive -- I will say though they require an amazingly small amount of blood.

Again I will follow your posts about the True meters.