If you want to lower your bg by eating a lower carb diet, you need the feedback a meter can give you. We are all different and whereas one person may be able to consume 150g carbs daily, another (eg me) has to reduce their carbs to <20 daily. We only find out by testing.
These two are the meters many of us on this Forum who self-fund use. They have probably the cheapest strips.
(1) The TEE2 meter is free, but alas not the strips to use with it, which cost £7.75 for 50 ex VAT.
With your free meter you get a useful little carrying case, 10 free strips, 10 free lancets (which will last for ages if, like me, you re-use them) a free lancet gun and free bottles of testing fluid. Customer service is fantastic. You can speak directly to a REAL PERSON 24/7 on a freephone line (0800 881 542 whenever you have a question or if you prefer not to order online. Your order arrives pretty much by return of post. You can have a replacement gun, more batteries and more testing fluid all free. The meter works fast and it only requires a small drop of blood. It supposedly will transfer readings to an app by bluetooth, but only some phones and tablets are suitable. Mine aren't.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-plus-blood-glucose-meter/
Alternatively you can buy a CodeFree meter starter kit for £12.89 here:
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
The advantage of the Codefree meter is that the strips work out slightly cheaper than for the TEE2 if you buy 50 (£7.69), but much cheaper if you buy in bulk. (To do this you have to put in a special code, available here on the Forum.) One disadvantage is that the Codefree customer service is way inferior to that of the TEE2 and only available during working hours Monday to Friday. This is particularly important if one is new to testing, as it means with the TEE2 one can get advice at any time of the day or night. One's Codefree order arrives much more slowly than the TEE2. So if, like me, you have a tendency to forget to order until you are about to run out, the TEE2 is better. With the Codefree not only do you have to pay for the meter, you also pay for any replacement batteries or testing fluid you may need later.
Don't forget that as a diabetic you don't have to pay VAT. You can sign up for this on the order forms.