Your peace of mind

They say it's a sign of the times. That it's because the economy is bad and the holidays are here. That's what they say about the recent increase in the number of burglaries. We for one know of a couple of people whose houses had been broken into in the past month. The scary thing is, the second house was invaded while the owners were at home. They held them at gun point while they rummaged through their possessions. They weren't harmed physically. But the damage done to their peace of mind is as great as if they had been bloodied. They are afraid to go home at night now.

We've had a home security system for a while now ever since my husband transferred the service from his business to our home when he closed his store down. I must admit that we've thought of cutting out the service at times when our finances were tight. But then we hear horror stories from people we know and we become even more resolved to tighten the security to our home.

Having an alarm system is a huge step in ensuring your home security but there are also other common sense steps that you can take on your own. For instance, you can:

Secure windows. Make sure all the locks on your window work and that they are locked especially at night and when you leave the house.

Deadbolts. You'd be surprised how many homes, especially older ones, still don't have dead bolts on their doors. Make sure yours have one. My husband added one of those metal bolts that prevents your doors from being kicked in. Most standard locks are easily pried or kicked in by anyone determined to enter your home.

Clear Shrubbery. Make sure your windows and doors are not hidden by shrubbery. Thieves can use shrubbery to hind themselves while sneaking into your house.

Good Neighbors. Finally, nothing beats a good alarm system like a nosy neighbor. When we or our neighbors are going to be away from our homes for a few days, we always let each other know so that they can keep an eye out for any suspicious activities.

Let them know you're protected. Finally, let would be robbers know that your house is armed by placing your alarm system's signage around your house. They are less likely to try breaking in if they know that you have a home security system installed.