I have always had the luxury of health insurance and I'm eternally grateful for that, but many times when I read comments left on blogs, my heart aches for those people who suffer the burden of paying for their diabetes supplies out of pocket!   I will admit the feeling of being covered is worth every penny.

David's recent blog focused on a new meter and many of the comments that were left asked how to pay for test strips.  Blood sugar testing is the most important factor in taking action against diabetes complications! 

That said, I thought I would do a little market research for where to find the cheapest test strips on the Internet and in local stores.  Using my One Touch Ultra Mini as the model for comparison, and Consumer Reports to compare accuracy and dependability factors, I sat at my computer for 4 days looking up cheap test strips.  Let's just say that I had no idea what I was getting into, but I felt sick with what I saw as marketing for "cheap" test strips, as many were anything but cheap!

Just for your information, Consumer Reports Health ratings for most accurate, consistent and easy to use meters, 1= most favored, 10 = least favored by CR standards:

Since we know accuracy is under scrutiny, I think it best to rely on your own feelings for what works best for you!

Of the twenty sites I browsed, Amazon.com had the cheapest test strips for most meters and meter prices were lower as well. My local Rite Aid pharmacy could not compete. A box of One Touch 50 ct strips was $58.99.

Amazon.com:

One Touch Ultra 50 Ct-$24.00

One Touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose Monitor ran about $11.00-$16.00

I have an Amazon Prime account, which is an added charge at the beginning of the year.  With that, I get free shipping on all items.  I generally order enough stuff from Amazon that it was worth the cost!  You may want to consider your diabetes costs and shipping charges, but from just a strip cost, this was by far the best deal I could find.

WalMart:

One Touch Test Strips 50ct were $57.23...BUT their ReliOn meter was a deal to consider:

ReliOn Ultra thin was a $9.00 investment for the meter, and ReliOn 50 ct test strips for $20.00, Walgreen had the same deal as Walmart, but the strips were more expensive. Walgreen True Go for $9.00, and their test strips 50 ct $39.99.