Wondering how to make your home safer for your family with out spending a bunch of money? Well here is a few ideas! Make sure all windows are locked. Use a half of broom stick to put between the top of your window and the jam to keep it from opening if the lock gets breached. Use a charlie bar on ANY sliding glass doors or some kind of stick to add as an extra form of security on your door incase the sliding glass door is easily able to be opened. Add motion detector lighting on all areas of your home (front porch, back yard, etc) as light is a good theft deterant. Motion lights are available with wireless indoor alarms that plug in your wall inside the home and make a loud sound when the light is activated. Big dogs are always a good help too. Put house alarm stickers on all windows and doors and signs in the yard, as thiefs do not want to take a chance on a home that may have a security system. Make sure all outside door knob screws are tight and that the handles are not loose. Put deadbolts in if you do not have any, as a door with out one can VERY EASILY be kicked in compared to a door with a deadbolt. Plant thorny bushes or shrubs near all windows, as a thief does not want to get hurt, or leave any type of blood DNA in or around your home. Use curtians, and DO NOT ADVERTISE your electronics or valubles to outsiders. If you have a big screen TV or stereo equipment, close your blinds at night while watching it, because you may not be able to see outside, but a thief can sure see in, and if he does see something he likes, he will be back for it when you are not home.Use multiple use timers with more than just one on off time to make it look like the lights go on and off at different times even when you are home so it will not be obvious when you decide to go away. Leave a radio on or buy a CD (which the do sell on ebay) that has household sounds such as dishes clanging, faucets running, TV sounds, dogs barking, people talking, etc, and put it on repeat on a stereo or small radio. This will make it sound as if someone were home, and a thief will not want to take a chance on your home, and most likely will move on. Have your neighbors keep an eye on your home, and do the same in return for them. 2 or more sets of eyes are better than none. And last but not least, always DOUBLE CHECK that you locked every door and window. All it takes is one time, and you can be cleaned out of house and home in less than 15 minutes. If at all able, get yourself a good Home Security System. I recommend DSC security systems. They are VERY good. If you can't afford to have it hooked up, go to a do it yourself website and ask for help. You can even get a Hi Tech alarm, and have all wireless sensors, so all you would have to wire are the keypads, wireless reciever, siren and strobe (if you chose to have one).  I did that and have a $600 security system hooked up and running, and if I would have paid someone else to do it, it would have cost around $900 with running all the wire through the house through walls and under siding. If you take your time, you can do it yourself and have a very nice security system, not have any commitments with monitoring stations and find a monitoring station that will monitor your system for as little as $9.99 a month, and if you do not like it, you can cancel and go some place else and not have to worry about staying with a certain company for 12 or 24 months before canceling, because you bought your own stuff and installed it yourself. When you buy a system from a company, and they install for free, and only charge you $100 for everything, it is because you only get limmited door and window sensors, and pay around $25 - $35 a month for 2-5 years for the monitoring which also pays for the system as well. It is kind of like what the cell phone companies do when they sell the phone for $10 or give it away for free, but tell you that you have to stay with the service for at least 2 years or pay a $150 or $200 cancelation fee (if you cancel the service earlier) which will cover the $400 phone. So hopefully this helped you and you will be able to keep your house and valubles safe for years to come. Be SAFE!!