My recommendations; First, go to Target and buy two or more of the Taylor digital thermometers with the probe on a wire. The plain thermometer is $15--give or take one--and the silvery pretty one with the folding display is $21, and has a timer...If you set the timer, when it goes off, it resets to the time you had set--ie if you are boiling eggs for 6 minutes, and doing 2 batches, when timer goes off after 6 m, when you hit the button to shut it up, it goes to 6 min., ready to rock again. If, on the other hand, you want to know how long something's been cooking, start at 0, hit the start button, and it counts up. Great for timing ribs or butts, so you know when to start checking.
Stick the probe thru a small 'tater or a chunk of wood, put it on the grate to keep track of the temps in your smoker. Those particular themos are cheap, and I've had good luck with 3 of 'em. They'll read to 392, so you can watch temps up to that. Get one for the grill, one or more for meats. Plus they have an alarm for certain temps. Set the grate one for 260 or so, the pork butt one for 160 to know when to wrap...etcetera.
Now that I've said all that--welcome to the forum! Glad to have you aboard!!