What is the best work-related item that you've purchased recently that has made work better/easier?

[RustedFox]

Title says it all. I just got a fat shift bonus and I want to buy something to make work easier.

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[BoardingDoc]

Title says it all. I just got a fat shift bonus and I want to buy something to make work easier.

Not recently but my Leatherman raptors are worth the price of admission for the ring cutter alone. Using the spinning saw blade ring cutter is for chumps.

 

[DeadCactus]

A nice bottle of scotch.

 

[turkeyjerky]

About 1 in 20 shifts I really wish I had remembered to bring in a headlamp.

I bought some expensive scrubs a year ago (got them cause the group offered to reimburse for 5 sets) and honestly I'll probably buy more out of my own pocket in the future, so much nicer than hospital ones.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Yeti Rambler

Secures well enough I can let it flop around my bag without spilling a drop, and even if I'm too busy to drink my coffee until 4 hours into my shift - it's still hot.

 

[thegenius]

Title says it all. I just got a fat shift bonus and I want to buy something to make work easier.

Hookers and blow.

(Sorry that’s two things, you can just choose one)

 

[EctopicFetus]

Title says it all. I just got a fat shift bonus and I want to buy something to make work easier.

Nice. bottle of booze.

 

[emdoc799]

A solid pair of shoes with arch support. Nothing sucks more than doing what we do all while your feet hurt, then your legs, then your back…etc.

 

[RustedFox]

A solid pair of shoes with arch support. Nothing sucks more than doing what we do all while your feet hurt, then your legs, then your back…etc.

Yeah, this is critical. I actually juuust bought 2 new sets of sneakers for this purpose.

 

[bravotwozero]

A solid pair of shoes with arch support. Nothing sucks more than doing what we do all while your feet hurt, then your legs, then your back…etc.

Big fan of Merrell hikers. Comfortable, and hugs my feet with awesome arch support.

 

[RustedFox]

Big fan of Merrell hikers. Comfortable, and hugs my feet with awesome arch support.

I've bought a pair of Merrells for hiking, and was dissatisfied with how chonky they were. I actually feel like my hiking was impaired because I lost "foot dexterity".

 

[WuMedic]

Real answer: I do a few 24 hour shifts in the boonies each month and the best advice I got for there was to spend some decent money on a good pillow and nice blanket. I have an overnight bag now that has a nice memory foam pillow and a couple of fluffy blankets. Sure beats using the hospital pillows and blankets. On a cold, snowy winter’s evening where everyone stays inside, I get more sleep in the call room than I do at home!

Fantasy answer: A self driving car to get me home after previously aforementioned 24 hour shift. (Some day, some day…)

 

[RustedFox]

Real answer: I do a few 24 hour shifts in the boonies each month and the best advice I got for there was to spend some decent money on a good pillow and nice blanket. I have an overnight bag now that has a nice memory foam pillow and a couple of fluffy blankets. Sure beats using the hospital pillows and blankets. On a cold, snowy winter’s evening where everyone stays inside, I get more sleep in the call room than I do at home!

Fantasy answer: A self driving car to get me home after previously aforementioned 24 hour shift. (Some day, some day…)

I have a :43 minute one way drive to CurrentJob, so I would also love that self-driving car at 7am.

This job is light years better than OldJob, though, so it's so worth it.

 

[PTPoeny]

I've bought a pair of Merrells for hiking, and was dissatisfied with how chonky they were. I actually feel like my hiking was impaired because I lost "foot dexterity".

I love their trail runners for just this reason. They are more supportive than most sneakers without being chonky.

 

[namethatsmell]

Cleaning lady.

Fought against hiring one for years until my wife found one and started paying for it on her own.

Wife was right, though I may never be able formally admit it.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Cleaning lady.

Fought against hiring one for years until my wife found one and started paying for it on her own.

Wife was right, though I may never be able formally admit it.

This right here- I had to convince my wife it was worth it - I had one for years before we got married. As much time as it frees up it is a no brainer

 

[Groove]

I bought a tempurpedic mattress and 7 day Caribbean vacation reservation for Dec.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Anyone tried to deduct stuff like blackout shades as a work related-expense?

 

[thegenius]

Anyone tried to deduct stuff like blackout shades as a work related-expense?

I totally would if it costs what I think they cost (several hundred dollars). Give you probably make ~350-400K, IRS will never pick up on that.

 

[BoardingDoc]

I totally would if it costs what I think they cost (several hundred dollars). Give you probably make ~350-400K, IRS will never pick up on that.

I am not an accountant, nor do I have any idea whether or not blackout shades qualify as a work related expense. That said, I would strongly caution anyone against employing the logic of "the IRS will never pick up on that" as being an adequate justification for making decisions on your tax forms.

 

[turkeyjerky]

I am not an accountant, nor do I have any idea whether or not blackout shades qualify as a work related expense. That said, I would strongly caution anyone against employing the logic of "the IRS will never pick up on that" as being an adequate justification for making decisions on your tax forms.

Okay, but get this.

How about blackout shades for your home office, that you just "happen" to sleep in?

 

[RustedFox]

Okay, but get this.

How about blackout shades for your home office, that you just "happen" to sleep in?

Dis is de way.

 

[CliveStaples]

Okay, but get this.

How about blackout shades for your home office, that you just "happen" to sleep in?

Home offices must be used "exclusively and regularly" for work. Having a bed you sleep on in the room would be a red flag that the room isn't used regularly for work, unless your job at home involves bordello work, but I think that takes additional permits in most states.

 

[RustedFox]

Home offices must be used "exclusively and regularly" for work. Having a bed you sleep on in the room would be a red flag that the room isn't used regularly for work, unless your job at home involves bordello work, but I think that takes additional permits in most states.

My home office has a big beanbag chair.
You damn right I sleep in that sucker with regularity.

 

[miacomet]

Great mattress

 

[turkeyjerky]

Home offices must be used "exclusively and regularly" for work. Having a bed you sleep on in the room would be a red flag that the room isn't used regularly for work, unless your job at home involves bordello work, but I think that takes additional permits in most states.

Whoosh?

Pretty sure deducting a home office is a red flag that you’re cheating on your taxes…

 

[RustedFox]

Whoosh?

Pretty sure deducting a home office is a red flag that you’re cheating on your taxes…

My tax pro says its totally cool.

 

[CliveStaples]

Nothing is wrong with a home office, but if you're prepared to be audited you should be prepared to remove items like a mattress from your home office during the audit because that will be a red flag that your room doesn't qualify for the home office deduction.

 

[thegenius]

I am not an accountant, nor do I have any idea whether or not blackout shades qualify as a work related expense. That said, I would strongly caution anyone against employing the logic of "the IRS will never pick up on that" as being an adequate justification for making decisions on your tax forms.

Ok fine...so first you cannot write off blackout shades unless you sleep in a room that you can write off exclusivuly for work. You would have to prove that your room, bed, pillows, etc...everything in that room is a legitimate business expense, and used only 100% for business. So I doubt you are in that situation.

Not sure you understand how tax audits work though? There are triggers for suspicious tax refunds. Major ones are not reporting income. the IRS hates that. If you try to hide income they will come after you. For things like expenses on businesses...if the IRS deems that your expenses are too high for what you do and the amount of money you make, that will trigger a flag. For instance...if you make 400K as a "health care professional" and you wrote off 370K of expenses...that would most likely trigger an IRS audit. On the contrary...if you make 400K and you write off 7.5K of expenses...the IRS 99.999% won't care about that.

They have averages for revenues, expenses, % writeoffs, for all professions. Unless you are subject to a random audit of which the odds are exceedingly low...adding on $400 for blackout shades on an expense of 7.5K on revenue of 400K will not trigger anything.

Now I might be somewhat hypocritical because we recently had a discussion on this board about writing off vacations and airblowers for your home and I certainly think there is tremendous fraud out there of the IRS. Tremendous. Writing off a week vacation where you spend 4 hours of that week talking business is 100% fraud, 100% of the time. I hope those people get audited. That's writing off an entire 20K vacation where you are vacationing 100% of the time minus a little bit of business. This is not nearly on the order of that at at all.

 

[thegenius]

Whoosh?

Pretty sure deducting a home office is a red flag that you’re cheating on your taxes…

It is true that a home office has undergone additional scrutiny. I'm 100% positive that most people don't use their home office exclusively for work.

The problem is...how many people drive to work and are on a computer and use their computer, at times, for personal things? But maybe I'm not comparing the same thing.

 

[Apollyon]

Ok fine...so first you cannot write off blackout shades unless you sleep in a room that you can write off exclusivuly for work. You would have to prove that your room, bed, pillows, etc...everything in that room is a legitimate business expense, and used only 100% for business. So I doubt you are in that situation.

Not sure you understand how tax audits work though? There are triggers for suspicious tax refunds. Major ones are not reporting income. the IRS hates that. If you try to hide income they will come after you. For things like expenses on businesses...if the IRS deems that your expenses are too high for what you do and the amount of money you make, that will trigger a flag. For instance...if you make 400K as a "health care professional" and you wrote off 370K of expenses...that would most likely trigger an IRS audit. On the contrary...if you make 400K and you write off 7.5K of expenses...the IRS 99.999% won't care about that.

They have averages for revenues, expenses, % writeoffs, for all professions. Unless you are subject to a random audit of which the odds are exceedingly low...adding on $400 for blackout shades on an expense of 7.5K on revenue of 400K will not trigger anything.

Now I might be somewhat hypocritical because we recently had a discussion on this board about writing off vacations and airblowers for your home and I certainly think there is tremendous fraud out there of the IRS. Tremendous. Writing off a week vacation where you spend 4 hours of that week talking business is 100% fraud, 100% of the time. I hope those people get audited. That's writing off an entire 20K vacation where you are vacationing 100% of the time minus a little bit of business. This is not nearly on the order of that at at all.

I know of a guy that's a lawyer. It's a while ago now, but, one night, he was on his Harley, and went off the road. Broke his neck, quad now. He had some legal papers in his saddlebags, so, it became a worker's comp injury, and WC got him this wheelchair that does everything except, well, a sexual act.

 

[DeadCactus]

I know of a guy that's a lawyer. It's a while ago now, but, one night, he was on his Harley, and went off the road. Broke his neck, quad now. He had some legal papers in his saddlebags, so, it became a worker's comp injury, and WC got him this wheelchair that does everything except, well, a sexual act.

Meanwhile physicians would apologize for the delay in returning the documents and try to figure out a way to see patients from the surgical ICU. And no, I don't mean this a compliment for physicians.

 

[CoolDoc1729]

Meanwhile physicians would apologize for the delay in returning the documents and try to figure out a way to see patients from the surgical ICU. And no, I don't mean this a compliment for physicians.

I’m not one to deduct questionable things, but blackout shades in particular you only need because of work, so I think they should be deductible. Whether or not that is actually true I have no idea. I’m only a fake tax professional on wednesdays.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Meanwhile physicians would apologize for the delay in returning the documents and try to figure out a way to see patients from the surgical ICU. And no, I don't mean this a compliment for physicians.

More like hospital admin would come after them for "violating hipaa or stark", void their disability insurance and file a board complaint in order to satisfy "compliance'.

Back to the OP--I highly recommend a rice cooker. Makes cooking rice so easy and really simplifies a variety of meals. (I enjoy cooking--I'll grill meats, braise a pot of stew or cook up some pasta w/ a pan sauce all day long. But babysitting a pot of rice to make sure it doesn't boil over or over cook is not my idea of fun.)

 

[PianoMedic]

More like hospital admin would come after them for "violating hipaa or stark", void their disability insurance and file a board complaint in order to satisfy "compliance'.

Back to the OP--I highly recommend a rice cooker. Makes cooking rice so easy and really simplifies a variety of meals. (I enjoy cooking--I'll grill meats, braise a pot of stew or cook up some pasta w/ a pan sauce all day long. But babysitting a pot of rice to make sure it doesn't boil over or over cook is not my idea of fun.)

I honestly didn’t know there was a non “rice cooker” way of making it until my wife forced me to watch cooking shows. I never made rice until I bought one and have never even attempted to make rice in a pot. Never intend to either, far too tasty and efficient using the rice cooker.

 

[bravotwozero]

I honestly didn’t know there was a non “rice cooker” way of making it until my wife forced me to watch cooking shows. I never made rice until I bought one and have never even attempted to make rice in a pot. Never intend to either, far too tasty and efficient using the rice cooker.

Insta pot is way better than a rice cooker. Can cook rice just as well plus a crap ton of other dishes