Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

I know we all want to get out and find the best deals for our kids but I wanted to go over some basic safety tips that you may not think about during the holiday shopping season but will save your life, your packages and more…..

These tips could save you quite a bit of heartache. Remember that thugs are more desperate around the holidays. Safety should be your 1st concern and security can’t be everywhere at once. Be safe!

1. Lock your doors, windows, cars, and garages at all times. Don’t place your garage door opener in your car during this time of year (or any for that matter)
2. Don’t hide packages in your car. Thugs are betting that cars have packages in them so you’ll find “smash and grab” breakins this time of year (they smash the glass, grab a few packages very quickly and run)
3. Keep the exterior of your home well lit. Dark homes are more enticing to a burgular than a well lit home so for the next 6 weeks consider leaving on lights.
4. Leave a television on when you leave the house and schedule automatic lights with an inexpensive auto timer. It’s a cheap investment that may save quite a bit of heartache later.
5. Store serial numbers and receipts in a special place in case you are burgularized so you can submit them to insurance quickly and efficiently. Do NOT store receipts with the packages.
6. Park your car under lights and close to main entrance doors in shopping malls, Walmart, Target etc. It may be dark when you need to return to your car so plan to take an extra 5 or even 10 minutes to sit and wait for a safer parking spot in a well lighted area that is away from mall dumpsters etc.
7. Don’t wear a purse that just sits on your shoulder. Use a fanny pack like this one or have a purse with a long strap that goes should to hip and over your head. Remember thugs are looking for purses that they can grab and run.
8. Stay alert and use your intuition. Ask for mall security to walk you to your car or maybe a host or hostess in local restaurants (you’ll be hungry while shopping and likely eat out)
9. If you must leave packages in your car (like while you’re eating out immediately after shopping) be sure to cover up packages or hide them in the truck. (hide under seats, under a car blanket etc)
10. Don’t open the door for just anyone that comes knocking. Before you answer the door say “Who is it?” Use your intuition. Be safe isn’t rude – it’s SMART! If you don’t know the person don’t open the door – PERIOD!
11. After Hanukkah or Christmas don’t open larger boxes to expensive electronics (like a television etc) and leave them curbside for trash pickup. Pack them in your car and try using a work dumpster or dumpster at a grocery store. Large boxes with pictures of the contents outside of your home just alerts would be robbers as to what is in your home. It may be too enticing and spark a break in.
12. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash during the holiday season. Always ask yourself – “If you were robbed could you manage without the money?”  Consider using credit cards with “Buyers Security Protection” where your items will be replaced if lost or stolen within 90 days of purchase. Just call your credit card company and ask if you have it (most do and consumers don’t use it and don’t know about it). Debit cards to NOT have it.