Why pay a home security monitoring company? You've got intruder alarms, fire alarms, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and a truckload of other blinking lights and insulated wires sensors to help you sleep soundly at night.
You've made all reasonable efforts to make sure your home is safe and secure and no-one can argue with that.
What will a home security monitoring company do on top of that? Let me ask you another question: what do you do when you hear an alarm go off in the middle of the night? I'm guessing nothing.
At the very most you might holler out of the window for someone to shut the darned thing off, right? So why expect someone else to come running to your aid when it's your house being broken into? Accidents happen.
Gas pipes leak.
There is crime even in the safest neighborhoods.
Whatever you do to prevent it, the chance of something compromising the security of your home will never be zero.
This is where home security monitoring companies step in.
Dedicated, interruptible data lines connect the sensors in your home to the headquarters of professionals trained to spot the first signs of any threat to you, your home and your family.
They can alert the police or the fire department in some cases before you even know there's a problem.
Obviously, the levels of comfort and security on offer vary between different home security monitoring companies.
Different packages suit different people and only you can decide how much you need to guarantee peace of mind.
Remember: the moment you need it, it's already too late.
Be sensible and make a rational assessment of your needs.
What is the crime rate in your area? Is there a good neighborhood watch system? Do you live in an area prone to forest fires? Of course, it's unreasonable to expect you to pay for something you don't need.
However, before ruling out a more comprehensive package on the basis of cost, be aware that it can actually help you save money.
Having a home security monitoring company guarding your home and property even when you're away is very likely to bring down insurance premiums.
Having the fire department called when the first tell-tale particles hit the sensors could make the difference between minor smoke damage and needing to replace everything you own.
Aside from the financial damage of losing possessions to fire or theft, there is the sentimental side.
Insurance doesn't cover this.
Preventing disaster in the first place is always less costly than cleaning up afterwards.
On a cautionary note, having a home security monitoring company watching you from afar, while being a very good idea, is not a cure-all.
It is only a preventative measure.
In the first moments of a crisis, you will be looking out for yourselves, so have a plan.
Know your escape routes and have a bug-out bag ready with changes of clothes, some food and water and some money.
You need enough to get you through until the insurance pays out, should the worst happen.