I made an account just so I could comment on this. I've been searching for ideas for the last hour and I've finally got it. First I thought you might put all your plant pots on pressure-activated alarm mats that would go off when the item gets stolen. As good as an idea as this was, the only products I could find that fit this criteria were too expensive, save creating one of these yourself with some wires, batteries, and gadgetry. So, my next thought was magnetic door alarms: fasten one piece to the plant pot and the other to a nearby surface. Not a bad idea. But it was a bit awkward to imagine, practically speaking. Where would it fit nicely on the surface of the pot? Is it waterproof? So my final and best thought was to place one of those bluetooth "lost key" trackers in a plastic bag and place the bag at the bottom of your plant pot before potting the plant. If it goes missing, you could ise your phone's app to communicate with it and fond it. Only concern there is: how extensive is the range? Anyways, these are just thoughts. Perhaps the magnetic door alarm WAS the best one.

Total hijack here, but I lost my electronic car key with house key on it before Christmas. I knew it had fallen out of my pocket at work somewhere between the parking lot and the main doors. We had sooooo much snow this winter, I didn't have a hope of finding it. The school where I teach is in a very bad area of town and I've been worrying all this time that someone would find it and steal the car (and then find our address in the glove box and let themselves in our house). Not to mention the $350 replacement cost of the key. Well, it has finally started to melt here and as we were walking to the car yesterday, my daughter gave a yell, leaned down and picked the keys out of a half melted snow bank - and they still work!!!

" Is it nuts to hold onto an old car?" Not no but He@@ NO! Whats nuts is buying a new car. First off, the only time you ever get a chance to drive a "New Car" is that brief period at the dealership when they allow you a test drive. During the test drive the car is still registered under the dealers "In Transit Title" and it is legally a new car. The moment the title is put in your name and you sign the document it becomes a "Used Car" and the value instantly drops from the MSRP window sticker to the "Blue Book Price" even before you attach your license plates or start the motor the first time. What is really nuts is taking a cash rebate instead of demanding they take that number off the selling price. Consider the facts. They artificially inflate the price by $2,000 and offer you a $2k rebate which you are to receive after the sale. You negotiate your best price (which still contains that artificially inflated $2,000) and you sign the contract. You now have two choices, you can write them a check for the full amount or you have to finance the transaction. If you have to finance it, you are now paying interest for the full term of the note on that rebate, even though you will get the money back at closing. Not a bad deal for them, they hold your money for perhaps one day and you pay interest on it for 5 years. Now, when you get insurance you are also paying insurance on that $2,000 rebate that you took back immediately and went shopping for other stuff you probably didn't need. Oh yes, Did I mention that you also payed sales tax on the rebate money tooo. But then it is not all bad, hopefully you don't live in my state where you have to pay an excise tax on the value of your vehicle every year, including that $2,000 artificial markup. Personally, I wouldn't buy a new car if I won the lottery.

A few things to keep in mind: Don't advertise that you're gone. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But how many people turn off all the lights and turn on the front door light ONLY when they're gone? Screams that you're not home. It's often said, but often overlooked, don't let papers and mail pile up. A trusted neighbor should take it in on a regular basis. If applicable, garbage cans should go to the curb (even if empty) and be returned. A spare car parked in the driveway? First, don't leave a garage door remote in there and secondly have it moved, even if rolled back a few feet. What else? Oh, be alert. Watch for strange cars. My house was broken into twice in the time I've lived here. One time my neighbors saw a car cruising up and down the street and saw it in my driveway. They didn't think anything of it until after the fact. Then they told me gee the one even mentioned to the other it looks like they're casing the neighborhood... SHEESH! A word about deadbolts. Yes they're good, BUT, don't get overconfident. I had a deadbolt on my door and I had the recommended 3" screws into the framework. I also had a "deadbolt" on the storm door. Guess where they broke in? They grabbed the handle on the storm door and yanked it open, then kicked the door in. There was a nice footprint on the door. The door didn't break, but the frame gave way and they just kicked until the screws finally broke out the frame. Sooooooooo, if you have a wood framed door, don't get overconfident. If they want to get in, they're coming in. The spare key issue is open to debate. One idea that I like is if you have a trusted friend a block or two away that would let you (perhaps in a reciprocal agreement) hide a key outside at their place, you could walk to their place, get the key even if they're gone. That way, if someone finds the key, they don't (or shouldn't) know which house it fits. Another method is if you have an outdoor shed, the outside key could be for the shed, then hide the key in the shed. Be creative. Now if you have multiple sheds, or the neighbors would agree, go from place to place. If someone finds one, they're not too likely to keep looking for the right key. Course, they'd probably just get frustrated and find another way in, like with their foot. For self defense, your car keys can be your friend. Always have them ready, carry them so they're pointing out and if the ring fits on your finger, all the better. If you MUST fight, go for the eyes. It's always best to not try to physically overpower an assailant, but when you have to, use any weapon you can. Dogs can help, but don't get overconfident. They can act as a delay to give you time to call police. Most burglers don't like dealing with dogs, but throwing some meat to the side to distract them, or killing the dog isn't unheard of either. When you pull into a garage, look around. Look around before you even open the door, check as you're pulling in. It's really best to have better than normal lighting in there, but no matter what, be alert. Eliminate hiding spots if possible. Close the door before getting out of the vehicle and again, look around in case someone came in with you. If you're alone, keep your land phone and cell phone handy. if you hear something, you can take cover and call the police. It's always best to use the landline so they can identify the location but a cell is a backup. My aunt lived in Houston and she always kept a can of hairspray on the car seat next to her. When a guy jumped in her car the one day, she sprayed him in the eyes. He jumped out quickly. But these days they can be armed. Again, keep your mind working, and use what you have to protect yourself. There's tons more, but these popped to mind. Stay safe everyone.