So it’s spring break, and it’s finally time to take that vacation that you’ve been saving up for. While you’re busy planning out your trip though, you might neglect to realize that your home will be unattended for several days during a time of the year when burglary rates are at their highest. At a time where thousands of people are leaving their homes to go spend their money, burglars are entering your home to go make their money. There’s a ton of different types of alarm systems out on the market, and getting the wrong one can leave you more broke than if you were actually burglarized. In order to get the most protection with the most minimal cost, there are a few things that you should make sure you do and don’t do.
The first thing is to make sure that you don’t overvalue video cameras. A lot of security systems will try to convince you that the key to preventing a break-in is to make your home look like a circuit city with a camera around every corner. Not only are cameras ridiculously expensive, but most of the time do nothing but give you the option of watching people in masks tear apart your home. You can find infrared motion detectors for around $20… a much more cost-effective solution than video cameras that usually run you around $100.
Another thing you might want to consider is whether the system is monitored or not. In fact, a lot of security systems forego the extra cost of video cameras for a monthly monitoring fee. These kinds of monitored security systems will usually charge you $35-$50 a month, but it isn’t as much of a necessity as they’d have you think, since many security systems give you the option of calling 911 or any other phone number if it detects a break-in, doing essentially the same thing as the “professionals” that you’re paying every month.
The last facet of “home security” that shouldn’t go unrecognized pertains to your computer (believe it or not). Most people don’t realize how simple it is to extract personal information from your computer and the litany of information that can be stolen (credit cards numbers, passwords that could be used on garage door panels, etc.). The big anti-virus companies like Symantec and AVG charge exorbitant monthly fees, but fortunately, there’s a good amount of free software out on the web (like Ad-Aware, for instance) that does a comparable job.
Try some of these shortcuts and you won’t only avoid an otherwise costly security system, but hopefully won’t come back from your spring break to the aftermath of a break-in.
