If you're interested in increasing the safety and security of your home (and most importantly, your family), you may be looking into home security systems. However, many commercial security systems are triggered only when an exterior door opens or a window breaks. This may not give you enough time to react in self-defense or get your family to safety. What can you do to help alert yourself of any potential intruders without breaking the bank? Read on to learn more about your best inexpensive perimeter defenses that will help discourage trespassers and quickly alert you of any potential dangers.

Driveway alarms

If you live in a neighborhood that permits soliciting by salespeople or charitable organizations, you may benefit from a driveway alarm that is triggered whenever someone breaks an invisible barrier of light at the foot of your driveway. When a human, animal, or vehicle breaks this beam of light, you'll hear a chime, similar to a doorbell, and will be able to go to the nearest window to see who has breached the perimeter of your home.

This technology can also be used to track traffic through other possible entry points, like a backyard gate or side deck. If you purchase multiple sensors, you'll be able to coordinate the sound of the chimes so that you can immediately identify the source. These sensors usually have adjustable sensitivity, so that you'll be able to avoid chiming for birds, small animals, or other wildlife that may pass through your area.

Solar motion-activated flood lights

Having motion-activated lights on the outside of your home is one of the most effective ways to deter burglars, who wish to enter under cover of darkness to avoid detection or later identification. However, hooking these lights up to a buried electrical system can be expensive. One way to bypass this cost is to invest in solar-powered flood lights that gather and store operating energy during the day and use it at night. These lights will come on whenever motion is detected in the vicinity, and will remain lit for a predetermined amount of time, helping discourage would-be intruders or trespassers.

Wireless video cameras

Another addition to your home's exterior security can be wireless, motion-activated video cameras. These cameras may be solar-powered or battery-powered, and they can transmit images and sound to a home receiver in real time, allowing you to monitor any movement around your property or capture still images of wildlife or humans. Because these cameras operate on wireless technology and use little energy because of their "sleep" setting when no motion is detected, they are a relatively inexpensive way to secure your home.

Talk to a security company, like American Wireless Alarm Inc, to learn about other perimeter security choices.