The holidays are over, and your wallet may be feeling it. As much as we try to be aware of spending, it’s just too tempting to buy one more gift for friends and family. If your credit card balance is a little higher than you want it to be, you’re probably thinking of ways to save and cut costs.
When it comes to home security, you want to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered, but may not have the budget for a fancy home security system with all the bells and whistles. The good news is you don’t need one to stay safe. There are some budget-friendly things you can do to make sure your home and belongings are protected.
1) Stop the overflow of mail
Stuffed mailboxes let burglars and thieves know that someone isn’t home. If you’re on vacation or away on business, ask a neighbor to grab your mail to avoid signaling that no one’s home. You can also ask the post office to pause service for the time you’ll be away.
2) Beware of (fake) dog
Whether you have a dog or not, a “Beware of Dog” sign is an extra deterrent to someone wanting to get closer to your property. Post signs as close to the perimeter of your property as you can to keep the jerks at bay.
3) Form a neighborhood watch
As shocking as it is, most break-ins happen in broad daylight between the hours of 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM when people are at work or school. Get to know folks in your area who may stay home with children or telecommute and let them know your schedule so they watch for suspicious activity. With more eyes and ears on your property, the risk of robbery or vandalism is greatly reduced.
4) Keep your property neat
Burglars will always look for places to hide on a property, so make sure that bushes and trees are trimmed back near your house and garage, particularly around windows. Stick to low plants and shrubs in your landscaping. Take a step back onto the sidewalk and street and survey your property for any places someone might try to hide.
5) Always keep doors locked
Another surprising fact is that thieves usually enter through an unlocked door when breaking into a house. Get in the habit of keeping all doors locked whether you’re home or not, and encourage children to do the same when they’re home alone.
6) Install window stops
Just like unlocked doors, burglars will look for windows they can easily open to get inside. Install window stops that will allow ventilation (usually a few inches), but won’t open enough to let someone climb through.
7) Set up an outdoor motion sensor
Most security systems require monthly subscriptions, but Guardline is an easy plug-and-play system that you install in minutes. There are no contracts, and you don’t need Wi-Fi to use it. It’s a budget-friendly way to keep your property safe by alerting you any time someone comes onto your property. With the option to set up as many as 16 sensors to one receiver, there’s almost no part of your property you can’t cover.
Until next time, be safe...
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