The Christmas season is a time of merriment for many, but for others Christmas poses serious financial challenges. Burglaries always spike around Christmas time, and if you don’t want to be a part of this statistic, you should read the following 6 points very carefully.
- Lock Your Doors
This should be your first line of defense. Lock your doors! Lock your front door, lock your back door, lock the sliding door, and don’t forget to lock your car. Oh, and you should also make sure that you lock your windows at all times! You need to make this a policy. Giving aspiring thefts even a single point of entry into your can spell disaster.
- Leave The Light(s) On
You don’t need to leave every light in your house on. Just the porch light or the garage light should do the trick. Leaving a light on gives the suggestion that somebody is both at home and alert. These suggestions alone are usually enough to deter would-be thieves. Yes, it wastes some energy, but most will agree that minor increases to the electric bill are preferable to full-fledged burglary.
- Don’t Flaunt Your Expensive Christmas Presents
Christmas time is the season of giving, and we would encourage you to give wholeheartedly to your loved ones. Go crazy! But be careful not to advertise the expensive presents that you’ve given to one another to the outside world. For example, if you receive a brand new, 84-inch television for Christmas, be careful about how you dispose of the box. Don’t leave it sitting on the curb! You might as well put up a sign for burglars that says “If you break into my house, you’ll find good stuff!”
- Leave The Radio On
If God forbid, a burglar enters your home, there are still things you can do to spook them into abandoning their mission. This situation is most likely to occur during the day. Burglars know that working professionals tend not to be home during the day, so this is their prime-time. We suggest leaving the radio on when you go to work. This will give the suggestion that somebody is home, and scare off thieves when they enter.
- Team Up With Your Neighbors
You and your neighbors are likely in the same boat this holiday season. Nobody wants to get robbed! So if you find yourself worrying, why not initiate some sort of neighborhood watch? Joining forces to keep your neighborhood safe is a benefit for everybody because it creates a protective network. Many sets of eyes watching for suspicious behavior are better than one!
- Appreciate What You Have
Understanding your privilege and your wealth is the first step to understanding how to keep your home safe. What are your points of vulnerability? What would a thief want to steal from you? Are you being careless in the way that you treat your possessions? Answering these questions will help you begin to understand how best to deter theft.
Have A Fail-Safe: Renter’s or Home Insurance
Even the most careful person can still fall victim to theft. Peace of mind is very important, so we’d recommend if you are a renter purchasing renter’s insurance, just in case. If you want to know more about renters insurance, read our article, Insurance 101: The Fundamentals of Renter’s Insurance. And if that piques your interest, then get in touch with us for a free insurance quote!
