Early in this FD journey I bought a bottle of test solution and used it exactly one time. Like everything else it has an expiration date. I am on my third meter. First I bought the FreeStyle Lite because it seemed closest in appearance to the AlphaTrak my vet suggested but the strips were expensive and had to be ordered online as I could never find them in the stores. Second meter was the ReliOn Micro whose company apparently had a falling out with Walmart a couple of years ago and the strips were no longer carried by Walmart. Third meter is the ReliOn Premier which I have been happy with thus far even though I've never figured out how to turn off the beeps. Bama has just had to get used to hearing them although I think he thinks he is done after hearing the first beep when I have just inserted the strip into the meter. He tries to walk away. Little dude needs to learn to count. More beeps are coming.