?
Many of our New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside before we even get around to cutting the tags off of all the new sweaters we received for Christmas.
It’s easy to get jazzed up on December 31st and promise to only eat things that grow from the ground or to stop drinking caffeine or go to the gym 7 days a week. Then, a few days later, we realize the impossibility of such goals.
For all the things you resolve to do, no matter how realistic or far-fetched, make a few promises that are truly beneficial for your life and easy to stick with.
Safety is a great place to start. Keeping yourself and your home safe is both attainable and worthy of writing on your to do list for 2012. Check out these few tips on how to keep your home and belongings secure all year long.
1)????? Home Security System: One of the easiest and most effective ways of keeping your home safe is to install new security features or utilize your existing home security system. A home is burglarized every 14.6 seconds in the United States, with 34% of burglars simply entering through the front door. ?Additionally, homes without security systems are three times more likely to be targeted than homes with a security system. And because they’re not only a source of prevention, but also the first line of defense, a home security system is a must for the New Year.
2)????? Avoiding Break-Ins: Along with an alarm system, there are other measures you can take to keep your home safe. Deadbolt locks, placing a bar behind sliding patio doors, keeping expensive equipment out of view and closing garage doors can help to deter burglars. If you’re gone for a long period of time, leave at least one light on both inside and outside and have someone stop by regularly to pick up mail and newspapers to give the illusion that someone is there.
3)????? Keep Spare Keys Safe: Many people make the mistake of putting their spare key under the mat, under potted plants or in other obvious outdoor hiding places. Store your spare key somewhere away from the door where it’s not readily within searchable range. A pile of wood in the backyard, the toolbox in the garage or with a neighbor are all safer places to store your spare key.
4)????? Fully Operating Smoke Detectors: Sometimes, keeping your home safe from intruders isn’t quite enough. Most home fires are the result of a totally preventable cause like unattended candles, smoldering cigarette butts, space heaters, or poorly functioning smoke detectors. Be especially careful around the holidays, as you’ll have candles burning, stovetops cooking and additional people in your home. Test smoke detectors often, as studies in the US show that only about half of detectors were functioning at the time of a fire. Keep batteries on hand so you don’t ignore the warning chirps when it’s time to change them out.
Do your best to make keeping your home safe a priority this upcoming year. Security is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and your family, and certainly much more achievable than the all-liquid cleansing diet at the top of your resolution list.
Kristine is quite the homebody. She enjoys crafting, treadmill running and eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon. Kristine can’t wait to ring in the New Year and think of a few resolutions to break.
These are great ideas. Keeping the home safe should be the most important thing to protect the family.
I love what you wrote! We just had our first child, so one of our goals was to make sure that we made our home safer for our family. We stopped leaving spare keys by the door, and we always left the porch light off during the evenings. We don’t want to make it any easier for people to break into our home, so we might as well make it difficult for them to see lol. We also bought a doorbell camera from http://www.blackhatsecurity.com – which lets us see who’s visited our home from our mobile device. Altogether, we feel a lot safer, and agree that it family safety should always be a priority. Great post!