By John
In these challenging times, most people are either choosing or having to make serious choices about their spending habits in order to save money. The most-touted choices inevitably entail a certain amount of pain or sacrifice; however there is one approach to saving money that is not so often mentioned, yet is relatively painless. With rising levels of crimes of ‘economic desperation’, both here at home and in many of our overseas vacation destinations, safe-guarding what is ours can save a considerable amount of expense and hassle in the short- and longer-term.
Click here to compare offers and save money
How am I vulnerable?
Apart from assets you may hold in the bank and safety deposit boxes, your valuable possessions are pretty much held in your house or on your person.
Your vulnerability can cost you heavily
Having something stolen from you, especially violently, can cause you considerable expense. There may have been damage to your property, you may need medical attention and, of course, there are the replacement costs of the items stolen. If you make an insurance claim you may recoup some of the loss but your credit rating is likely to take a hit.
What you can do to improve your residential security
No matter how much you spend on a security system, it won’t guarantee your house to be burglar-proof against the really determined burglar: remember, what man has put together, man can take apart. Whether you have a security system or not, here are some basic common-sense rules:
- All doors and windows should be lockable and locked. The quality of the locks used should be standard throughout i.e. the same quality for the garage door and cat-flap as for the front door or gate.
- The outside of your house should be adequately lit at night. A timer switch will ensure the lights are switched on when you are away. Good lighting and robust locks may be enough to deter an opportunistic burglar, or at least delay him until help arrives.
- Don’t advertise the fact unnecessarily that you may be going away on a trip or vacation. Neighbors may be amenable to keeping an eye on your house if you are away.
- Be rigorous about authenticating the ID of anybody you don’t know who asks to enter your house, for whatever reason. Reputable organizations make this easy for you.
- Be suspicious about people loitering near your house.
- Make sure you have a reliable means of calling the police to your house if necessary.
What you can do to improve your personal security
Your best weapon against being mugged or robbed on the street or in a public place is ‘situational awareness’. If something doesn’t look right to you, it probably isn’t. But you won’t be aware of it if you are listening to music on your earbuds and texting at the same time. Paying attention to your surroundings takes discipline and effort. In addition an alert-looking person is less likely to be attacked by a mugger than one looking as if he is in a trance.
Here are some practical tips to reduce your personal vulnerability:
- Don’t wear all your flashiest accessories on the street.
- Don’t carry more cash and cards around than you might reasonably be expecting to use.
- Keep your wallet/purse in a fastened pocket, preferably an inner one.
- Consider carrying a ‘throwaway’ wallet containing only a little cash with your main wallet better secured inside your clothing.
- Use an ATM inside a bank lobby or in a building with security staff present, rather than one on the street.
- Be alert when exiting a bank; secure any cash you may have withdrawn before you leave the building.
- Consider running a bank account with only a small balance that you use for daily expenses and top up frequently. That way your exposure to loss is limited if the card linked to that account is compromised.
- Particularly when overseas, carry photocopies of important documents in your wallet and leave the originals in a safe place. Better to have a slight problem with the police than have to obtain a passport at short notice.
It’s all about exposure…….
The better you protect what is yours, the less you expose yourself to the risk of being vulnerable and having someone try to take it away from you. Following these simple tips will save you money if the worst should happen.
Leave a Reply