I would add that one of the best things that testing has done for me was teaching me when to take my metformin. Initially I followed the directions until I increased to 3 x 500mg.
Then, I was taking 1 with breakfast 8.30 am 1 with lunch 12.30 pm and one with my evening meal 5.30 pm. Mid afternoon my BG could get as low as 5.8 but every morning it would be between 11 and 14. Realising that 15 hours between my last tablet one day and my first tablet the next day was too long, I try to space at least 6 hours between tablets. My mid afternoon BG has risen very very slightly but my a.m. BG has fallen dramatically. eating an apple or some bran between meals has made this easy to do.
At present I am testing pre breakfast and pre evening (late supper with last tablet) meals and keeping a log on a spreadsheet. But I am also testing before and 2 hours after certain meals in order to gain important information as to how my body reacts to different foods.... I can see my first thoughts about all similar foods having similar effects is completely wrong so I'm guessing that my body can absorb glucose quicker from some foods than similar foods.
This does involve keeping a log and testing more frequently in the beginning but I adamantly believe that diabetes is something that needs dynamic management and getting as much information as I can will help me to understand my body and work with my medication rather than against it.
Having spent over 15 years working in an NHS hospital I have seen the effects of diabetes when it is not managed effectively, and the cost to keep a person in hospital far exceeds the cost of monitoring. So cost is not a sufficient reason to deny monitors to all diabetics.
It has been a very steep learning curve for me, I started out as a deniabetic thinking the doctor must be wrong and I couldn't be diabetic or it was a one time high BG, then I went to the feeling isolated, lack of information, helpless stage. Then acceptance and wanting information. Reading threads on this forum and the input from so many others has made me feel better, given me insight and tips and even put a smile back on my face
as well as confirming that testing is paramount to control.