Great Practical Tip: “A Key” To Home Safety

Even in the best neighborhoods and communities, most of us at some level are concerned about our family’s safety as we sleep in our beds at night. Yet many of us do not want to pay for – or cannot afford to pay for – a home alarm system. We forget, however, about a very simple device that most of us already own and could save our lives. Keep your car key chain next to your bed at night. If you have a thief or other person break in, click the panic button on your key chain setting off your car honking loudly outside your house or in your garage.

Once you know it’s safe, you simply turn it off. But if not, besides alerting everyone in the neighborhood, most likely, the continual blaring of the car alarm will either scare off the person breaking in, or cause your neighbors to eventually call the police. While a normal quality home alarm system would be more complete (i.e. when you are not awaken by sounds of a break in, or when you are not home), this no cost approach using your car alarm is better than nothing.

I actually use an extra pair of my car keys in this way. And I decided to hang them right on the switch to my lamp next to my bed. With this placement, I can hit the alarm just as easy as I can turn on the light. Plus, I always know where to find the alarm button – even in the dark.