Sometimes people fail to invest in home security systems because they view them as a luxury item, and they are reluctant to take on the monthly expense. However, that tends to be a misconception, and perhaps a lack of understanding of the true value of protection. If a family is willing to pay $80 per month for Internet access, for example, plus another $60 per month for TV and a couple hundred dollars every month for everyone’s cell phone bill, shouldn’t there be room to squeeze a bit of money into the budget for home security and peace of mind?
Or how about this: What if we told you home security can pay for itself? Would that change your mind? Because it can, in several ways, including…
It can deter a burglar
A home security system can’t guarantee to keep your home from being burgled, but it is a strong deterrent. A burglar strikes every 13 seconds in the U.S. and it’s the homes without an advertised home security system that are three times more likely to be broken into.
It can prevent the cost of a theft
When you deter a burglar, you save yourself the cost of a theft. Not only will you have the costs of replacing the items stolen, remember (which studies say average about $2,000 per burglary). You’ll have to spend time filing a police report, making an insurance claim, doing piles of paperwork, making phone calls…plus replacing the stolen items and recovering from the psychological damage that occurs with a home burglary. And who can put a price on that?
It can keep fire or water damage to a minimum
With the right home security system, you can also have monitoring for fire, smoke, carbon monoxide, and even flooding. In situations where minutes count, like a fire, a home security system can be invaluable in getting help to your home faster, thereby potentially saving more of your home and possessions.
It can lower your homeowner’s insurance premium
This is not a guaranteed cost savings, but definitely worth looking into because many insurance companies will discount your homeowner’s insurance if you have a home security system installed.
Finally, it’s really not all that much money!
Maybe not one of these cost saving arguments really matters, however, if we look at how little a home security system costs compared to other common household expenses…
A home security system will cost an average of $35 per month (depending on the vendor you choose and the features you get). That’s a little over a dollar per day. I can think of several things that cost me more than $35 each month, like dog food: A bag of the dry dog food that’s grain-free for our allergic pooch costs $24 and we go through one and a half bags per month. Or how about a restaurant meal? My husband and I just had a “date night” at a nice little Italian place that cost us $80. That’s more than two months worth of home security! And then there’s the gas tank: Even our youngest with her little compact car burns through more than $35 a month in gas, with driving back and forth between home and the college. Or figure that $35 monthly fee is probably what you spend on lattes each month (10 coffees at $3.50 a pop).
When you put it in perspective, a home security system isn’t really all that expensive at all—especially when you consider the peace of mind it buys you!
