Winter Vacation Home Security

Planning a trip? Thinking of having your snail mail and newspaper delivery placed on a vacation hold so that thieves casing your neighborhood won't see a pile-up of these items?

Well, there's a better option, because what if…just what if…a crook works for the post office or newspaper company and keeps track of all of these vacation holds? They'll know for sure you're gone and will rob you, or at least try to. Have a trusted adult retrieve your mail and newspaper.

Next up for protecting your possessions is a rule that cannot be said too often: Never post your travel plans on social media! The number of people who do this daily is alarming, and this includes posting while on the vacation as well, putting up photos of the beach and boasting about the weather, scenery, etc. A thief reading this is like a dog watching you put steak in his bowl.

Another tactic is to install timed lighting devices so that your house isn't perpetually dark, or perpetually lit up, which looks almost as suspicious.

Are you still continuing to put off getting a home security system? For as little as about $10/month your home can be monitored, but more provisional systems are still reasonable at $30 a month. The system should alert law enforcement if someone breaks in. Complement the home security with video surveillance. Today's systems allow you to access them remotely.

Additional Tips for Home Security While You're Away

• Lock up all your valuables in a safe.
• Deactivate the garage door opener.
• Set up automatic timers that turn lights on and off.
• Inform the police and a trusted neighbor of your travel plans.
• Record a message on your voice mail that implies you're home but busy.
• Ask a neighbor to park their car in your driveway.
• Have your grass cut to prevent overgrowth while you're gone.
• Make sure your car, if you're using it to travel, is equipped for the long trip.
• Load up the car under the cover of night or inside your garage so that nobody sees you're prepping to be gone.