Balancing a household budget has always been a concern, but in more uncertain economic times, keeping spending low is even more essential.
All around the country, Americans are learning how to manage their spending in new and creative ways, managing to provide the quality of life necessary for families without bleeding the bank account dry.
There are a number of places that it's appropriate to cut corners to save money, obviously, but in the rush to stop spending, sometimes people make rash choices about what they can and cannot live without.
For example, it's one thing to decide that this isn't the year to buy a state-of-the-art home alarm system, but it's completely another to ignore security issues altogether.
Especially when times are tough for everyone, it's not a moment to stop paying attention to ways of keeping a household safe and secure.
Thankfully, a number of different steps towards increasing security and safety around the home aren't going to cost people much more than a little bit of time.
For example, if there isn't money in the family budget to add locks to windows or sliding doors, a simple yard stick or broom handle can make all the difference, and redefine the concept of double-locking.
When leaving the house for extended periods of time, just place a yard stick or broom handle in between the sliding mechanism of the door or window.
Even if someone manages to break the lock, it will be physically impossible to open either the door or the window.
Another easy part of home security is simply remembering to shut doors and windows and securely lock them, even if you're not going to be gone for more than a couple of hours.
An open door or unlocked window is an open invitation for would-be robbers to break into your home without even needing to lift a finger for extra work.
Don't leave a clear in for criminals--be sure to close and lock those doors every single time, and do the same with the windows.
It's not just doors and windows that matter when it comes to economic ways to keep your house safer from break-ins.
Be sure to keep all of the bushes and trees around your home trimmed instead of overgrown, so there aren't easy places to hide in the shadows while casing the joint or working on breaking in.
Likewise, many times homeowners forget about the need to protect the second floor of their house.
If there's a tree that provides easy access to the roof, especially in the backyard, keep the branches trimmed so that it's not just a short climb between a criminal and your belongings.
Aside from home security systems, something as simple as a time and motion activated light system can also be a great help for houses on a budget.
Outside, this means that anyone lurking in the shadows won't be able to do so for long, because movement will activate seriously bright lights.
Inside, it means that lights will consistently be turning on and off, a crucial part in protecting your home.
You see, criminals would prefer to break into an empty house, and if it's more difficult to figure out whether or not someone is home, it makes breaking into your home less desirable.
Consider the advantage of this investment.