Home Security on a Budget

One of the best ways to secure your home is to purchase an alarm system; most homeowners agree that the peace of mind that alarm systems bring is easily worth the expense. However, for anyone living on a tight budget, or anyone who wants to add to existing security, there are also many inexpensive security devices available. I will cover a few of those here. All prices quoted are in U.S. dollars.

Preventing unauthorized entrance through a door:

There are several devices designed to secure doors:

The 80115 Mace Big Jammer™ door brace bar is designed to fit most doors. It is a heavy, adjustable steel bar that wedges at an angle against the door, preventing the door from being opened.

The Jammer retails for around $17.95.

Comments: This probably works well as a deterrent, but I would not count on it as the only means of security if the door is wood. Wood doors can be kicked in, and the Jammer does not have an alarm. In addition, there are other risks associated with blocking a door; In case of a fire or other emergency, the seconds you spend trying to get in or out of a room can mean the difference between surviving and not surviving.

Doorstop alarms:

Doorstop alarms are wedge-shaped devices that, once placed against a door, sound a very loud alarm if the door is opened. They retail around $14.95

Comments: I would recommend these over the door Jammers. Not only do they slow entrance, but also the loud alarm would be enough to make an intruder think twice about entering the room.

Window and sliding glass alarms:

There are several brands of window alarms. They are battery-powered and can be attached to any window, or sliding glass door. Most are designed with sensors that react to the vibrations caused by breaking glass. The vibrations trigger a high decibel alarm.

Comments: These should work well in most homes; however, if you live near an airport, Air force base, or any other area that experiences a lot of noisy vibration, these alarms could conceivably go off due to the innocent noises. It would probably be best to purchase one window alarm to test first before buying these alarms for all the windows of your home.

Motion detectors:

There are many wireless motion detectors available. They can be easily installed near entryways or other areas of the house. For entryways, the Mace Motion Alert is a good buy at $29.95. It is wireless, can be coded with a personal security code, and, if you are home and do not want to have the alarm on but still want to be alerted to anyone entering, it can be set to use a chiming sound.

Other motion detectors retail for $14.95 or less and can be placed throughout the house.

Comments: Pets can set off many motion detectors. Make sure the detectors are placed either high enough that the pet will not be able to set them off, or in areas not accessible to pets.

A unique alarm system:

The Electronic watch Dog: Fool would-be intruders with this creative alarm system. The Electronic watchdog uses microwave technology to sense the presence of someone outside the home. When someone comes within 20 feet of this device, the system begins to bark like a rather vicious German Shepherd. This system sells for $84.95.

Comments: Of the many security gadgets I have seen, this is one of my favorites because it is amusingly creative. As a deterrent, I imagine it works pretty well. If you purchase something like this, I suggest you get some dog items at a garage sale as well to put in your back yard--an old doghouse, for instance, and a food bowl inscribed with a name like "killer."