(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best safes & money handling products

I see lots of students and experienced nurses alike using these clipboards or similar designs.

Compression stockings are super nice, and come in cute designs. They help with foot/leg pain because we're on our feet a lot.

For a new student, a study essentials kit is a very kind gift. Notecards, post its, pens, highlighters, notes of encouragement, favorite snacks. You can DIY this to be very tailored to her.

Lastly, nursing school is tough, and mentally taxing. The best gift you can give is your support. Cute idea is an IOU book of things like a movie date, back rub, 1 hour of study help, etc etc. Just a sweet way to show your support. It's very nice of you to want to find her something to make school better for her, I hope she does well!

Brands for any of those things don't really matter except for Stethoscope. And even then you shouldn't be overspending. Like there is a good Littmann scope for $200. I recommend people to get that one but not for nursing school and 2nd some people lose their stethoscope like potheads lose bic lighters so it's not always a good thing getting the most expensive thing. Or if you are, make sure you get a really unique/flamboyant color in which when people see it they will automatically think "YES that's u/AviatingPenguin24's Littmann." Littmann scopes have a lifetime warranty if you are buying from a certified and genuine seller (heard there's a lot of fakes for littmann's).

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BP cuff, a cheap one off Amazon will be miles better than most BP cuff you use in lab for practices. Really that's it. The rest you can pretty much get basic/cheap or simple brands. Check the reviews to make sure it's not some bootleg quality material and that they have good enough customer service/warranty service.

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As for pulse oximeter I have no idea. We weren't required to purchase one. TBH I would go for the cheap one; the cheaper and easier to replace the better.

​

You're going to likely be buying more supplementary equipment for clinicals and stuff (optional things but very useful IMO) like a clipboard or small notepad or other NCLEX supplementary material. So save money when you can where you can and make sure they are easy to replace. Also expensive and good brands don't always mean more durable/longer-lasting (the girl who bought the $200 Littmann scope broke it on her 2nd week of use and took almost a month to replace under warranty). Which is why I stress "easy/convenience in replacing." This includes cost and how fast can you get it/if it is readily available. You preferably want everything to be accessible within the week and with warranty, in 2 weeks

The flat-clinch stapler is a must. The sharpie is really personal preference but I find that they do work best. Binder sheets are great for when you want to hand it top others to look at but I like the boxes for storage. Fun to dig through and a lot easier to move things when one gets full (try inserting a new coin in order in a page without having to move the 500 other coins you have to make space).

3 boxes - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6WTXTQ

For starters it may be worth picking up one of these steel ledger seed kits. That's a pretty solid option to have since you could combine that with your fire safe or safety deposit box plan to add an extra layer of protection.

The main things to consider (imo at least) are:

1. What are the odds that somebody gains access to this without your permission
   
   
2. Is this spot viable long term, for example if you ended up in a coma 5 years would you be able to come back for it? Would it be safely hidden all that time? Is there a high probability the backup gets destroyed in that time?
   
   
3. If somebody was looking is this somewhere they'd look?
   
   A deposit box pretty comfortably checks those 3 boxes (provided you're able to pay years in advance on it) and there's a pretty insignificant chance of that ever being compromised unless you're a serious criminal or something then of course the authorities would access it and take the contents I'm sure.
   
   A safe of any kind in your residence would protect it in certain scenarios but if your house was robbed or something of that nature that's exactly where they'd be most interested in looking.
   
   I won't give any specific examples of what I've personally done but hopefully this helps you with your approach to it. The best methods will probably be something you cook up on your own, tailored to your own circumstances, rather than something posted online for the world to see.

She's talking about the whitecoat clipboards. There are different versions though, so think about if she wants the standard nursing one, the pediatric one, etc.

If she doesn't already have one, a good Littman stethoscope is nice, but $$$.

Badgeclips are a cute and cheap present. Etsy has a bunch. I have a cute little felt one with a fox on it that I like, but there's a lot of variety if you just look around.

If you guys are shoe people, nice sneakers that are comfortable would be nice and it's not specific to nursing.

I'm looking for something similar. I would recommend against any plastic molded SentrySafe or other similar brand.

I had a bad experience with a very nice "solid" name brand one. As far as I know it affects pretty much all the relatively cheap plastic sealed ones in general.

The hollow plastic body is filled with a moistened drywall like substance. This works fine if/while the plastic body is completely sealed. If it cracks on the outside it would still be ok.
The problem is that the mold injection point is often on the inside and when it's not a perfect seal, you now have something more like a terrarium for your documents.

You will see references to it "trapping" humidity and not having a good seal around the lid to keep moisture out. This is actually the complete opposite of the problem. What happens is you have a great seal around the lid on the better quality units, but the moisture is leaking into the interior from inside the hollow body and because of the great seal, can't get out.

See: https://www.amazon.com/review/RJS6DIWDHJGZG/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00KOO599O&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=228013&store=hi

another:https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=46&t=405423

more:http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-2017F-Water-Chest/product-reviews/B000GB1VMO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewpnt_rgt?filterByStar=critical&pageNumber=1


Additional comments:
At first I put everything in ziploc bags.... but apprently i had less than perfect sealing bags, moisture just went into the bags also after months and months. That's when I knew there was more to it than trapping moisture in my airconditioned house. These type of firesafes would have moisture problems in Phoenix.

I haven't' spent enough time to find a proper alternative but I definitely don't want anything that doesn't detail what's inside the body.

Speaking of notebooks, make sure you get a good one. Basically, you want a solid lab notebook--not some spiral bound piece of junk for elementary school.

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXFNR4Z is (for me) a nice size/weight/cost mix. It's nicely bound, not huge, uses grid paper, has numbered pages, and several lined pages for a table of contents.

In certain fields (not just military), these are super common (i.e. standard office supplies): https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Indispensables-Military-Notebook-7530-00-222-3521/dp/B01D225M3C

We bought a simple fire box a few years ago because it seemed like the adult thing to do and it's been great. It's only for the most important, hard to get, or irreplaceable things like birth certificates, social security cards, and passports. We may never need it but it's nice to have things safe and easy to find given the cost.

We didn't need something huge so we just keep it on a closet shelf and it's fairly similar to this one.

SentrySafe CHW20221 Fireproof Box and Waterproof Box with Key Lock 0.28 Cubic Feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KOO594O

Hot damn on that National $20!

On a side note, get a good binder for those bills! I'd recommend a Dansco 7001 Currency Album. Has enough pages in it to hold 24 banknotes, and you can order more pages. The album can hold a good 15 pages comfortably (meaning upwards of 45 banknotes).

These Lighthouse currency albums are also great. They can hold about 45 pages (1 note per page) comfortably. I have four of those full of foreign banknotes, and two of the Dansco full of US notes, and a large sized Lighthouse album for older large sized and graded banknotes.

Accounting student here, so my views of the IRS may seem controversial to some with a passive knowledge.

In short, stop worrying about the big bad IRS.

They are not going to go over your return with a fine-tooth comb.
They do not care about chasing you down for your measly small business deductions.

If you have all your ducks in the row (kept receipts for business purchases, inventory, mileage for gas, etc.) you'll be absolutely fine. If you didn't, you'll also be fine. Comb over your credit card records and provide your best guesstimate.

People absolutely stress over taxes way too much.
For everyone who didn't click any of the links, the IRS is SEVERELY understaffed and underfunded. They've recently switched their goal from Compliance ("Everyone has to pay") to Revenue (For ever hour an auditor spends looking over a return, they should produce $X amount in revenue for the IRS)

There's a little more to this and someone else could chime in, but I'm ending my rant here. If you guys kept decent records (and even if you didn't) you'll be fine.

edit: I'm not advocating you make up shit. You should absolutely take advantage of any deductions you can for your business though (home office, gas, business purchases, etc.) One of your goals for 2017 should be to keep better records. Log your miles with MileIQ or get one of these.

See a CPA if you're afraid of fucking up, but honestly unless you're making high six figs, you could use turbotax home and business and you'd be fine.

2nd EDIT:

Some people are asking about specific "records" and what not. I'll throw in a few resources below.

Read up on Section 179 Deductions. If some of them apply to you, take them.

Did you rent a vehicle to move furniture or pick up auction winnings? Deduct it.
Bought some accounting software or Turbotax?
Purchased a subscription to FBA Scan or Profit Bandit?
Bubble wrap, tape, boxes, etc. All your shipping supplies.
Did you purchase in cash or lease a vehicle that you use for business? That's right, you can deduct that purchase cost or those lease payments. You can't, however, deduct loan payments (i.e. you have to use YOUR money).

You get the picture, people. It isn't as hard as it seems.
Admittedly I'm a bit of a DIY so I'd just get Turbotax Home and Biz and do it myself, but you can hit up a CPA if you'd rather avoid the hassle. Also, I recommend reading the entire Section 179.

This messenger bag will be used for my Captain America cosplay. What's more American than Captain America?!

On a different price point... This safe is also patriotic! Why? Because I have things to protect... like my freedom!

It’s a bank tellers / fair ground ride/ ticket seller / etc coin sorter thing. Unsure of the currency (edit, Danish Kroner) but you’d stack different derivates of coins to make up the value printed for that section. Top row will be pennies (or equivalent, value of 1 krone) then 2
Krone, 5 Krone and 10 Krone coins. If someone was exchanging money it’s an easy way to manage a load of coins, give correct, pre counted change, etc.


$usd version:
USD coin Tray

This because I will be starting school soon and need a safe place for my things. Thanks for the contest :)

Master Lock 5900DWHT SafeSpace Portable Safe, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QVS3MU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_rZu-ub07NCVTY
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QVS3MU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_rZu-ub07NCVTY

You know those paper tubes that coins come in from the bank? You put those in the machine, and then pour change in it, and it automatically sorts the change and fills the correct tubes instead of you filling the tubes by hand.

They're awesome, and they're expensive as hell. This is the "go-to" automatic roller, it goes for about $200, but if you have so much change that you need an automatic roller, it'll probably pay for itself pretty quick since banks will exchange rolled coins for cash for free (no 9+% fee from coinstar).

Alternatively, they also make $12 coin funnels.

A drug reference guide is helpful. This clipboard I loved https://www.amazon.com/WhiteCoat-Clipboard-Pink-Nursing-Edition/dp/B00GWSPT9Q
Lastly, a massage or spa day is nice after she takes her boards.

A clipboard is a great idea. One like this would be even better.

Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy/Anatomy Reference Clipboard with Wire Clip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B1YO1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_ByLkxbGBVC7EZ

Wow, that thing is so cheap and stupid. It will only work if the roommate is not determined. He could just break it open, try all the combos, or position the pills near a gap and get them out.

You should have gotten a small safe or lock box like this http://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-CB10-Small-Cash-Black/dp/B000Z8W7I0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319491097&sr=8-2

It is best that the guy cannot see what is in it.

I think I got mine at Costco, but they can be found in office supply stores with the filing cabinets or on amazon. Mine's small enough that it can fit under a bed. I don't have one with a padlock, it uses a round key. I think most are like this. Here is a link to one similar to mine: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00KOO594O/ref=psdc_705336011_t1_B00GE586CY

I'm a little late to the game, but these clipboards are a useful gift: http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Therapy-Occupational-Reference-Clipboard/dp/B009B1YO1A

Others have recommended that you get a bag and fill it with a variety of items that she could be reasonably expected to need. Of course, I second that suggestion, but don't overlook things that she personally needs. You may not be comfortable buying tampons/pads for her, but you might recommend she keeps extra ones in her car, just in case. If she has allergies, then maybe she should have eye drops or benadryl in her glove box. Will she likely have small cargo (groceries, sports gear, picnic stuff, etc.)? Then maybe you could get her a trunk organizer.

Also, if she's learning about (or you or a family member is teaching her) car maintenance, consider getting her an auto record book. They're inexpensive, and they can help her keep track of everything from fuel consumption to repairs. Alternatively, if you have any spare checkbook registers around, those can be used (I record the date, the gas station I used, the price per gallon, number of gallons I put in, and the total mileage).

I agree. An attacker's possession of my wallet is unconcerning to me, except for the replacement cost of the wallet. I would add one thing to your setup: Tamper evident bags (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J05F06/). That way you can feel better when returning to your safe deposit box that no one has seen those words.

I recently rolled about $900 in mixed change in about 4 hours using these babies:

http://www.amazon.com/BankSupplies-Coin-Sorting-Trays/dp/B019EFI9M2?ie=UTF8&keywords=coin%20sorting%20tray&qid=1465439731&ref_=sr_1_4&s=office-products&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/PM-Company-Color-Coded-Counting-05032/dp/B000RX0W3K?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=s9_top_hd_bw_bXECZX_g229_i4

Your bank will give you coin rolls for free. At least Wells Fargo does.

Does the same task of sorting coins into the right piles and rolls for easy counting.

But anyway, since you clearly are not interested/unable to google: http://www.amazon.com/Cassida-C200-Sorter-Counter-Wrapper/dp/B0051QAN3M/ref=sr_1_7?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1325268402&sr=1-7

There's a slightly more expensive one that also counts your coins.

Nice!
https://www.amazon.com/ColdTi-with-Numerical-Punch-Set/dp/B078ZHRQN9

TIL. thank you

Depending on how often you plan to do it, you can start with the basics:

A pair of gloves (disposable or professional) will keep the dirt off your hands, as CRH can be very dirty.

Cloth bags (or other strong bags) can be used to dump the coins you plan to return to the bank.

For storing your coins, you can go one of three main ways: You can place them in an album like this one, you can put them in a coin folder like this one, or you can place them in 2x2 cardboard coin protectors, then place them in 2x2 plastic sheets to display or put them in 2x2 cardboard protector storage boxes, like these.

---

Those are some good supplies to start off with, you can also consult the side bar of the subreddit for more potential supplies :)

You should have a USPS approved keykeeper like normal buildings

The best option I've heard of...and this has cropped up often on this sub...are these.

https://www.amazon.com/PM-Company-55999-Banking-Handling/dp/B0006VNVSG?ie=UTF8&ref_=zg_bs_490855011_3

They're money bands. They have a little bit of self-adhesive. An 8 person draft is 24 packs. There are 1000 in a pack, for like...$10.

dusts hands off

Just going to put this out here since it helps with what the OP is conveying. There are books made specifically for this type of information that helps to keep track of everything. If it's not in the owners manual (usually there's a section at the back of the manual for tracking maintenance) you an use the following.
AT-A-GLANCE: https://www.amazon.com/GLANCE-Mileage-Record-Inches-AAG8013505/dp/B0006HUIAO

This is the best, cheapest option imo.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078ZHRQN9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyaXxElM3aw

https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0039/english.txt

Here is one example of a key keeper:
https://www.amazon.com/Key-Keeper-Post-Office-Approved/dp/B00DYTMCZ0/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1520429427&sr=8-16&keywords=key+keeper

Your landlord would purchase it & install it just outside the door. A maintenance representative of USPS then comes out and installs a lock (owned by USPS) inside the blank hole. The landlord would either put a key inside, or if you have a digital door lock, just a piece of paper with the code in it.

If your landlord is willing to spend a little more money than that (ha ha) then the USPS owned locks also fit inside door entry systems like these.

https://www.doorking.com/telephone

Moreover, Amazon has a planner for pretty cheap. This is what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Mileage-Expense-Record-Inches-DOM750/dp/B00006IC8V

Post removed. Please remove all referral information before posting. Link should look like:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-2017F-Water-Chest/dp/B000GB1VMO/

you are either frequenting high end places with free alcohol or getting ripped off if you are spending banknotes at a club. every stripper at the place I eat lunch has one of these
https://www.amazon.com/Cassida-C200-Sorter-Counter-Roller/dp/B0051QAN3M/

I like the lighthouse sleeves and binder you can find here. Like all ringed binders the rings will occasionally not close perfectly. Biggest drawback is the price for filler sleeves.; I have two binders for my DPRK collection and both currently hold 30-40 sleeves.

As I like to be organized and always pay mo fee in coins... I've actually been using this quite a bit recently. Fits nicely in the drawer with the binder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IFUMQY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Are there any other odd items you guys use?

This clipboard would be useful: http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Therapy-Occupational-Reference-Clipboard/dp/B009B1YO1A

This or These would have saved you assloads of time and hassle

Very nice. Very similar to what I do, except I use these. It eliminated the need for tape. Not sure if it is cheaper thought.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VNVSG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's why you store seeds in something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/MMF-Industries-2362010N06-12-Inch-Tamper-Evident/dp/B000J05F06

No one can "peek" without you knowing.

Sure. Even in the case of this green notebook it can be hard to find the old school originals.

I buy these from Amazon regularly

https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Indispensables-Military-Notebook-7530-00-222-3521/dp/B01D225M3C/

https://www.amazon.com/Military-Book-Memorandum-LogBook-7530-00-222-3521/dp/B0064M7X30/

https://www.amazon.com/USGI-6178518-Journal-Green/dp/B009XCCPUE/

The first two are just paper binding. That last one is the closest to the original but even that is noticeably different.

That one may be out of OP's price range. Is so, there are cheaper ones with keys. I bought one like this from The Reject Shop (Aus equivalent of Poundland or similar cheapo stores) for about $10 as I had issues with someone taking my opiate medication.
https://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-CB10-Small-Cash-Black/dp/B000Z8W7I0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1465555031&sr=8-8&keywords=cashbox+with+key
If you think your mum might know all your hiding places, you can buy socks or underpants with zips to stash your cash & cards when you're asleep or out of the house.
https://www.amazon.com/Speakeasy-Briefs-Underwear-Secret-Pocket/dp/B00M28VJFI/ref=cts_ap_4_fbt

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=socks+with+pockets

It sucks that OP's mum is a thief. I mean it, OP. Hit me up for a free Steam game from my Inventory. It might not be Overwatch, but it might help.

I store my cards in one of these, double sleeved in deck boxes, with some silica packets in the safe. You can store ~1000 cards in each one.

Edit: I bought mine at Target for closer to $30. I suspect the higher price on Amazon is to offset the cost of shipping.

Yep, I've been using these for a while, less than a penny per wrapper http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VNVSG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I like the idea of a passphrase that I can back up in metal, ie:
https://www.amazon.com/Cryptocurrency-Indestructible-compatible-KeepKey-hardware/dp/B07F2ZMTD2/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?keywords=metal+bitcoin+wallet&qid=1564245226&s=gateway&sr=8-7

I guess my main hangups are A) the private key not being completely in my control, and B) if recovery or access is at all limited by A.

You have a hw wallet I take it? Which one and what are your likes/dislikes?

Edit: I meant seed phrase, not pass phrase

TLDR: Metal coin with a recess on the back. You are supposed to place a folded paper wallet in there and cover it with a tamper-evident sticker. If the sticker is torn, you know someone looked at the paper.

Something like this might serve the same (but less fun) purpose: http://smile.amazon.com/MMF-Industries-2362010N06-12-Inch-Tamper-Evident/dp/B000J05F06

If you're just looking to keep papers safe I would look to get a Sentry fire chest.
https://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-CHW20221-Medium-Chest-Charcoal/dp/B00KOO594O/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1474752833&sr=8-8&keywords=fire+chest

For storage I use a combination of stuff.

Ships, tokens, plastic bases, stands, etc are stored in Stanley Organizers, while the ship dials and pilot base plates are stored in 2x2 coin boxes. Lastly the pilot/upgrade cards are stored in standard 800 or 1000 count cardboard storage boxes.

I use these White Currency Bands ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006VNVSG?pc_redir=1408642543&robot_redir=1 )

I make the packs, wrap each one, then put them back in the carrying box. It's simple, and you still get to "open" packs by tearing the bands.

Would this be suitable enough for a gear box or should I look for something bigger?

https://www.amazon.ca/SentrySafe-CB10-Small-Cash-Black/dp/B000Z8W7I0/ref=pd_cp_60_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=13MFAAPP7KAESR19PGT5

I need to keep everything hidden, so this would store all the vials/pills/needles/etc.

I use this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QVS3MU/ref=twister_B009X78FG2

I bought mine is white. Other colors are cheaper. It's made by master lock. Set your own combination and comes with steel cables.

One thing that we registered for was a fireproof lockbox! I saw it mentioned on here once before, it’s not an exciting gift, but it’s very practical for all our important documents/passports/etc!

SentrySafe Fire Safe, Waterproof Fire Resistant Chest, 0.28 Cubic Feet, Medium, CHW20221 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KOO594O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FN2MAb11W0QFJ

They make a clipboard that is a cheat sheet and then you could add post it notes to that!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B1YO1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lJxKAbRGW7RC7

And if the counting is a pain point (mild OCD makes me recount every pile) - grab one of these too: https://www.amazon.com/PM-Company-SecurIT-Counter-05025/dp/B000IFUMQY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500495023&sr=8-1&keywords=change+counter+tray

If a bomb were to go off in my house, this would keep my things from being burned! I could put my Change Jar in there!