Do you think of your home as your castle? You probably want to safeguard your castle, but you might think you don't have the money to properly protect it. (And moats are so expensive these days!) Home security expert Al Corbi tells Rachael, "People think security is only for the rich. That's absurd. Even $50 can make a huge difference in the security of the household if you know what to get and where to put it on." Al shows several homeowners where they are most vulnerable and how to make their houses less attractive to burglars.

Some things would-be burglars look for:

• No flood lights around the house, or front/back doors that are obscured by shrubbery or tucked back in an alcove. When doorways are hidden from the street and there's no proper lighting around your property, burglars have the advantage of being out of sight when they attempt to break in.

• Unlocked garages or tool sheds. These structures usually contain many tools that could be used by a burglar to gain entry into your house, such as hammers, screwdrivers and crowbars.

• Unlocked gates. An unlocked gate might be fine for keeping your dog or cat inside your property, but two-legged creatures can gain easy access.

Simple measures you can take:

• Buy one of those security system signs for your lawn or windows, like the ones that say "Armed Response." Your house might not actually be protected by the system, but any intruder will think twice about taking his chances.

• When you go to bed, place your car key-fob next to you on the night stand (the key fob is that device on your car keys that you use to remotely lock and unlock your car doors). Most key fobs have a panic button. If you hear that someone has broken into your home, press this button so that the blaring horn and flashing lights from your car will drive out the intruder.
• Place a large set of worn construction boots or a large dog dish by the back door. No burglar wants to mess with a big guy, let alone an even bigger dog!

"The weakest link in any security system is a window," according to Al. He demonstrates two things to make windows more secure. First, you can buy inexpensive window security pins to install in your window frames. When the pins are securely in place, it's impossible to lift the window.

Second, ShatterGARD is a thin coat of super-strength plastic that makes it impossible for any burglar to break a window with a rock, a hammer, a bat ... almost anything!

Al recommends these products to secure other areas of your home:

The Door Guardian prevents burglars from opening sliding glass doors or pulling them off their track.

The RoboDog is a motion sensor that plays a ferocious bark dog when it's set off.

The Giant Screen Door Viewer works wonders over ordinary peep holes. The large screen gives you a panoramic view of the outside world, and can even be viewed from a low angle, which is perfect for allowing kids to see who is at the door without having to open it.

Some "key" advice from Al:

• "If you have to valet park your car, never give your entire set of keys to the attendant. You don't want to take the chance that they could make a copy of your house key, especially when your address is on your registration (which is probably in the glove compartment). Remove the car key from the ring and bring the rest of your keys with you."

• "I strongly recommend you never leave duplicate house keys hidden outside your house, no matter how carefully you think you've hid them. Most burglars know all the usual hiding places and are familiar with products that are made to hide keys (such as fake rocks). If you feel that you must leave a spare key outside in case of emergencies, keep it in a lock box that opens with a combination (like the ones some real estate agents use for open houses)."

Al also points out you can automate you home's lighting system with INSTEON wireless technology from Smarthome.