Unfortunately, that's about as good as you're going to find
That's a big reason why a lot of us use human meters instead of the AT....with as much as I test China, those strips would cost me over $250/month
I know some people use the Freestyle light strips instead (it's supposed to be the same strip, just for humans) and they're a little cheaper, but it's not something a lot of us recommend doing
I got some freestyle light and alternate with alpha trak2 strips - I compared a reading on same drop of blood - 94 alphtrak and 91 freestyle (that was a few weeks ago when Murphy had goon numbers)
I've done many, many comparisons and feel completely safe using Freestyle Lite strips in my AT2 meter. On the rare occasion that Goof gives me an odd number, I'll use an AT strip to double check, and the numbers are never very far apart.
Yup, I already had the AT2 meter, I got it when I got my first bottle of insulin and needles. In addition to my own comparisons, I've done some internet searching and have found others who also use the FS lite strips after doing their own comparison testing. I've shown all of my testing data, and that of the other people I've found, to my vet, he says it's given him something to think about. When he runs into the person that is considering putting their pet to sleep because they feel they can't afford the expense, he'll suggest the FS Lite strips to help them save some money.
He also sells all testing supplies, needles and insulin at cost plus shipping. He's awesome.