In Part 1 I spoke about firearms on a budget, go hear to read that article.

This time I want to talk about a few ways to protect your home and family on the cheap.

First lock your doors, when you are home and when you leave. Put the chain on and the deadbolt too. No excuses.

With the following simple tips, a door breaching tool won’t easily or quickly work, the door will have to be split into pieces. Giving you time to escape, evade or better yet arm yourself.

On each external door get a door prop leg, like they have at church / businesses. The one that you kick down with your foot to hold the door open. Instead, put it on the inside of your doors and kick it down at night. That should secure the bottom half of your door.

In the middle of all external doors install a deadbolt that has a bolt that is 1 ½ to 2” long. Put longer deadbolt in, the added depth goes further into the frame. I have heard of some people who put two deadbolts, one about 18″ from the ground and another about 18″ from the top of the door. Heck, you could get creative and put one into the top of the door too.

Add screws every 18” along your door frames, both sides and the top. This tightens the wood trim all the way through the 1st 2×4, some people even use 3” screws to get into the 2nd 2×4 of the door frame. If you do this, pre-drill the hole for the longer screw with a smaller drill bit first to make them easier to screw in.

Make sure the exterior doors are solid wood or heavy metal (not the cheap Lowe’s / Home depot ones. Also with no windows, but with a peep hole. Make sure your garage is also solid wood or metal, try to find thick metal, not thin. Putting a solid core wood door to the bedrooms with the 3″ screws can help make a safer room.

Use a solid brass door female frame that covers the lock and deadbolt as 1 piece instead of two, this makes the metal and door frame stronger. If you cannot then get a longer single hole strike plate like in the picture. It will take more punishment and spread the impact over more surface of the door frame. Notice the long screws provided.

Lock the door between your garage and house! Have a deadbolt on it too.

For your vehicles, keep your insurance card LOCKED in your glove box. Makes it harder to steal, thieves want to get your card and garage door opener, now they have your address and many people don’t lock the door between the house and garage, even if you do, the thieves can shut the garage and have plenty of time to kick in or break down the door. Lockup and or hide your garage door opener too. Don’t leave it visible in your car.

Park your vehicles in your garage and close the garage door. Then turn off your garage door opener power. My neighbor just had his motorcycle stolen from the driveway Saturday night to Sunday morning. Others have reported people driving down the street with a armload of garage door openers trying them as they drive by homes.

In your home, you can use an old book or books to hide defensive tools. Books are dirt cheap at garage sales. Cut out the pages in the shape of your weapon, put the weapon inside it. Now with some school glue, glue the pages together. This way you can “stash” a gun, pepper spray, knife or other weapon, out of children’s reach but where you can get it.

Use your curtains and common sense. Keep your curtains closed. I would suggest the inexpensive light blocking aka “blackout” curtains on all road facing windows.

While on the subject of curtains and windows. Don’t put your TV where people driving by can see it or any other valuables through your front windows.

Plant thorn bushes around your windows and doors and keep all bushes trimmed back so no one can hide in them and catch you by surprise. Look how banks use plants and bushes.

I know there are a thousand other inexpensive tips and tricks for securing your home. This article is just to get you thinking. Please feel free to share any inexpensive ideas you have below.

Until we meet again, keep your booger hooker off the trigger.