Last week you and a neighbour down the street were chatting about home security—in a socially distanced way, of course—when she launched into a grand oratory about their incredibly fancy (and expensive) gadgets, devices and other technology that she had just purchased to keep her home safe.
While you are pleased that your neighbour has invested in something as important as a home security system, you were admittedly a bit discouraged by the fact that your budget has not exactly been on the plump side lately. You’d like to also make your home more secure for you, your family, pets and belongings, but your hours were cut last year at work and you have yet to get back on your financial feet.
Here is some great news: there are plenty of economical ways to increase your home’s security, regardless of the current size of your bank account.
Affordable ways to improve your home security
Add pin locks to your windows
Unfortunately, many burglars are pretty adept at breaking the latch on a window to gain access to your home. To add an extra layer of security, add a pin lock to each window. All that you need is a drill and a small amount of money—Grainger sells pin locks for less than $3 a pop.
Use old-fashioned wooden dowels in sliders
You can also use a pin lock to secure a sliding glass door, or you can go old-school and buy a dowel at your home improvement store for a couple of bucks. Measure the width of the track and, if the dowel you wish to buy is a bit too long, see if an employee can cut it down to size, or use a saw to do it yourself when you get home.
Install smart security cameras
If you have wanted to invest in smart security cameras for your home but you are concerned about the price, here’s some great news: smart home cameras have been on the market for a while, so their prices have really begun to drop. As a bonus, many models feature motion sensors that will send you an alert, and many are capable of capturing really clear footage even at 2 a.m. You can choose from battery-operated models that you can place anywhere or also hard-wired units.
Secure your dead bolts
Unfortunately, picking even the fanciest deadbolt lock is not that difficult. To help hold a deadbolt in place so that the door cannot open, install flip guards on them. The Ultimate Lock offers packs of two Flip Guards for less than $40; it will fit over the existing deadbolt and lock to the rotation of the turn knob.
Door and window alarms
Once you have your doors and windows extra secured with pin locks and flip guards, up the security ante a bit with basic model door and window alarms. Motion, window and door sensors offer an extra level of security. If you can, buy a sensor for each door and window in your home; otherwise, start with the downstairs and go from there. Cox offers a number of options to their customers that are ideal for homes and budgets of all sizes.
A more secure home can be yours
At the end of the day, you and your neighbour want to have homes that are safe. Happily, you don’t have to rack up credit card debt or take on a side hustle to accomplish this goal. From inexpensive pin locks and wooden dowels to affordable smart security cameras and alarms, you can have a safer home and an increased sense of security in a budget-friendly way.
Featured image: Pixabay
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