Sometimes, being safe needs more than just locking your door and these smart tips can help you sleep better. However, not everyone can afford a top notch security system.

Fortunately, there are plenty of tricks that can help keep your house safer and offer peace of mind or a good night’s sleep.

Make your doors harder to push open

Everyday implements like those dumb bells with the non-slip grip can be more useful than you think. Placed behind the door in a laid-down position, it actually creates resistance when you try to push a door open. This trick works best with cement, ceramic and wooden floors and you can find this dumb bell almost anywhere from department stores to fitness shops.

Just make sure you’re home to adjust this — you don’t want to “lock” yourself outside with this trick!

Put on a coat when you answer the door

We saw this trick in an old newspaper years ago. If someone rings your front doorbell, answer it with a coat on. If this uninvited visitor is someone you don’t really want to see at the moment, such as a door-to-door salesman, tell them that you’re just on your way out for an errand or an emergency. Having your coat on lends credence to this white lie!

However, if this uninvited visitor is someone you actually wouldn’t mind spending time with, you can tell them that you’ve only just returned from an errand outdoors — shrug off that coat and settle in for a chit-chat!

Secure your front door with something that makes a lot of noise

The idea is to startle a potential intruder with the noise as they most likely would not want to be discovered. You can use so many things for this, from an electronic door stop that activates an alarm when the door is opened to things that make noise like wind chimes and bells. You can either buy a wind chime or even make your own using spoons and some string.

Put up motion-activated outdoor lights

No thief wants to be in the spotlight especially when they’re doing something illegal. Having motion-activated outdoor lights will not only keep burglars away but also help you identify who is at your front door before you open it.

Leave the radio on

If you’re gone all day, leave a radio on so that anyone walking up to the house will hear it and think someone is home. Most burglars target empty houses, so this will serve as a great deterrent to keep your precious family heirlooms safe!