Most of them are good . Speak to your pharmacist.
I am not in the US, but apparently wallmart has a good and cost effective meter, and the strips are also reasonably priced. Please check it out. I am not sure of the brand though.
I find that the doctor's office is a great place to start. Are you talking about over the counter kits? Have you been diagnosed with type 2? If so, you test daily then? Newly diagnosed people often test more than that as in a few times a day. If someone is meeting treatment goals, I know that they often don't have to test as frequently. So, I'm just not sure what your situation is. Do you have insurance and would a monitor be covered under it? I'd go that route if you can to save yourself some expense. And then your overwhelming list of options is cut down. You could talk to the doctor's office. It's a common trend to have diabetes educators these days who can consult with patients.