Wondering if it'd be okay to use strips to test runoff and a soil sample/distilled water mixture, then take an average? Due to a budget I can't drop 70$ at the moment for a meter, refuse to get a cheap one.
Just get the gh up and down solution. It comes with a ph tester kit to for like 25$ or so. This method can be a pain and wont be completely exact on the PH but it does work pretty well imo. Basically you just get the drops and test your water with a few drops and ph is based on the color that the drops show. Takes some practice but pretty easy and cheap once you get it down. Honestly thought its probably worth it in the long run to just get a nice meter like milwaukee or hannah.