While traveling on cheap airplane tickets and staying in discount hotel rooms or cheap vacation packages you do not want worries about what might be going on back at home to distract you from enjoying your trip. The last things you want to worry about while gone is the safety of either your home or pet.
The following are tips from frequent travelers:
It never hurts to be cautious and notify local police when you will be away.
Temporarily halt delivery of the mail and newspaper. Both tasks can usually be easily accomplished online.
Use timers to set lights in your home to come on at night.
Let your neighbors know when you will be gone, when you will return, and how to reach you in an emergency.
Use a safe or file cabinet to lock up valuables.
Ask around and see if you can find someone dependable to walk your dog in your absence. Often this will cost no more, and sometimes less, than kenneling your dog and he/she will be much more comfortable staying at home while you are away. Alternatively check out a new website called TrustedHousesitters that matches travelers with screened sitters who may charge little or nothing for the chance to stay in a private home for free.
More technically adept travelers or those who tend to worry even after following the suggestions above might:
Consider installing a monitor that notifies you if the electricity shuts down for more than four hours or if the temperature in your home goes above 85 degrees or drops below 45 degrees.
Arrange to receive text messages if their homes smoke detectors go off of if webcams identify possible intruders or smoke.
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