A lot of people use burglar alarms to keep their homes safe. But such alarms aren't always safe for your wallet. Raleigh's News & Observer recently reported on how alarm salespeople canvas neighborhoods following a break-in and capitalize on the fear by signing homeowners to expensive three-year contracts. Even worse, many of the contracts have a rollover provision. So unless you properly notify the company otherwise, you'll be signed up again at the end of the contract -- even if you've moved out of the house! Clark despises some of the sales practices in this industry and even once overheard a veteran salesperson training a newbie while he was dining out. The vet was as bad as some of the burglars that might break into your home. Granted, not everyone in the field behaves like this.

Clark encourages people to go with alarm companies that don't require a contract. And beware of the TV ads you might see. Sometimes the initial fees are misrepresented to lure you in. Purchasing the alarm hardware is pretty standard, but make sure you're paying a reasonable price for monitoring costs -- in the mid-to-high teens range, and definitely lower than $20/month. Keep in mind that about 99.7 percent of alarms are false, so response time from the police may be slow. If you're worried about slow response time, a recent Forbes story detailed how you can now have a camera as part of your system. If the police can see an intruder via the camera, they'll be prompt first responders. But companies charge a huge markup for this camera technology. The article stated that in one instance the camera system cost $1,700 and there was a monthly monitoring charge of $45 on top of all the other fees. Fortunately, companies like WiLife.com sell affordable cameras that even a self-professed techno-idiot like Clark can operate. Clark's even heard of people with a second home at the beach or the mountains installing a camera -- not for security, but instead for when they're feeling nostalgic and want to see their other property!