cheaper home insurance

Home insurance is one of those necessary evils that few people bother trying to save money on. It's generally pretty cheap compared to other types of insurance (health, auto), and few people shop around as a result. One easy way to save on your home insurance that is often overlooked is to pick up a decent security system.

Even if you think you live in a safe or "nice" part of town, you're not immune to thieves. After all, the "nice" parts of town just happen to be the areas that feature "nice" homes with "nice" toys like flat panel HD television sets and pricey home theater systems. In fact, I know of several people who live in nice parts of town that have been burglarized.

Another group of people that rarely go for any type of security or alarm systems are those living in townhomes and condominiums. After all, who would try and rob a condo, when there are neighbors all around, right? Wrong-o. In fact, condos and townhomes are noisier than their detached counterparts, and as a result, neighbors are often desensitized to noise. Condo owners often get robbed and although the neighbors heard a bunch of noise, they were so used to hearing noise that they never stopped to see who was making the noise.

One great little security system for those in condominiums and townhomes is sold by a company called LaserShield. The best part about it is that it is wireless - no annoying wires to run all around the room and tuck under the edge of the carpet so that you can hide it from your kids pets, guests, etc. It's easy to install, and available from all kinds of popular retail chains like Sears and Home Depot. With its keychain alarm and automatic response from an outside monitoring group, it provides a lot more security in an otherwise "iffy" world. Check with your insurance company to see if they offer a discount - they usually do. You may even find that the initial cost of the alarm system is negated by the annual savings you will get in your insurance.

Even apartment renters could use this type of unit, since it is portable and expandable. You could take it with you wherever you live.