I use a sensor and monitor. No finger sticks. My insurance covers this. Because it is so easy I read my sugar at least 4 times a day. I suggest contacting your insurance to see if they cover this. 👍

If you are not an Insulin or Sulfonylurea user then there is no "right time"

Those of us who test for reasons other than making sure we didn't "overdose" it depends what you and/or your Doctor are trying to accomplish by testing

Generally if all you are going to do is test once a day then your Fasting Number is important

You should take that as soon as you can after waking up before you eat/drink anything. That number can be used to monitor effectiveness of Metformin or Basil Insulin dosage and if your numbers get "out of whack" (looking for a "sub-7.0" fasting number) - if it's consistently higher then meds need adjusting

If you test twice or more a day, and again not testing to detect an overdose, then testing 2 hours after your (largest/highest carb) meal of the day is valuable - for most of us that would be dinner

A 2 hour post meal test (called post-prandial or PPG test) can tell you a couple of things.

If you are "out of range" - and range is set by you and your Doc to reach some target. Generally if you are simply following the guidelines you will be looking to be "no higher than" 10.0 mmols 2 hours after eating

If you are looking for better control, trying to reduce your A1C or trying to manage to reduce/discontinue meds then you will need a tighter range

Depending on your exact goals (and advice from Doc) you may be looking for a 2 hr PPG reading of <8.7 mmols (which protects the brain, eyes and kidneys) or <7.8 mmols which protects against ALL Diabetic Complications

(personally I want a PPG of <8.0 mmols which is the Diabetes Canada guideline for "tight" control)

A third test will (usually) be before bed - just to see what's happening before your body goes into Fasting Mode while sleeping

So no single answer for everyone - it depends what You and your Doc are trying to achieve with testing

I use a sensor too but I am self funded so cannot afford them all the time, invaluable if travelling to watch not just the numbers but the trend, having those arrows is life changing. I still finger pricking several times over the fortnight though as I have had faulty sensors.
A basic rule for testing is before eating and 2 hours after eating. However if you feel slightly dizzy, extremely thirsty or hungry do an extra test for peace of mind 💕

👍👍

Dear Graham
Thank you for your input. From that it seems I'm not specifically doing anything wrong lol and that I'm on the right path.