Well, here we are – December again and, if readers haven’t already baked/frozen, decorated, shopped, and wrapped, then this is the month for you! My own tried-and-true advice, along with some new ideas I’ve run across in preceding weeks – all on display in today’s and the next few weeks’ columns to make your lives a tad cheaper, easier, safer, and more enjoyable. Read on for our first segment in the series, this one regarding sneaky Scrooges who steal from one in every five Americans: porch pirates.
I used to mail homemade fudge to my two eldest grandchildren – one batch with nuts and the other without. None of us had a worry back then about porch thievery (except perhaps from pranking kids), and I looked forward to both Grands calling to say thanks as best they could with a mouthful of chocolate. Nowadays are different, however, and not in a good way. Porch pirates, or the scourge of online packages delivery, are on the prowl right this minute, stealing parcels from us and our neighbor five doors down. With full-fledged Coronavirus once again knocking us around and the days of in-store shopping a thing of the past for many, we’re depending upon Amazon deliveries, FedEx, UPS or the USPS; unfortunately, our packages aren’t necessarily protected any longer, particularly this time of year. On the other hand, there are ways to keep purchases safe during the holiday season (or at any other time, for that matter), especially if we listen to (and read from) experts’ advice. Let’s take a look at some of these safekeeping techniques. (Just as I’ve always cautioned about protecting your snail mail from gangs or thieving individuals, some of the same practices apply here, too.)
Thankfully, there are ways people can mitigate the risk of package theft, such as investing in smart home technology like a video doorbell. Statistically, folks purchase guardian systems, including cameras, video doorbells and the like, as well as home security systems, for our family’s peace of mind, and to avoid package/mail theft, as well as home protection from break-ins.
Schedule packages to be delivered when you or someone you trust will be there to pick it up.
Should your local post office OK the service, check into getting a lockbox installed near your front door so the delivery person can put your package in a secure location.