Was I Wrong? Part 3 - Saving Money on Home Security

Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!

Being wrong is human. Some of my proudest moments in life are those in which I admitted I was wrong and made a change.

In this week’s edition of Was I Wrong? I revisit our decision to install a home security system.

Three years ago, we installed a home security system in our house. We pay $50/month for a basic system, including sensors at entry points plus smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, with everything connected to our local police and fire station. The system pays for itself, because our homeowners insurance company gives us a significant discount (more than $50/month) for having alarms with central monitoring.

But if I had another chance, I would have done things very differently. Instead of paying for professional installation and $50/month indefinitely, I would have followed the recommendations at Wirecutter (one of the few review sites I trust), bought a starter kit with Ring and set up the sensors and system myself, paying $20/month for professional monitoring.

We already use Ring cameras at our home, and are extremely happy with them and the web-based interface, and it would have made far more sense to install Ring security hardware (sensors and a keypad) on my own and save $30/month. If you’re considering a security system for your own home, I highly recommend researching the DIY route before considering traditional options.

And now, Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:

I really enjoyed these two stories from Jane Wells’ Substack about people who guest starred on Seinfeld - The Soup Nazi and her own story.

Also:

• A Small Town With a Big Factory Goes South in Search of Workers

• Delivery Drivers Got Higher Wages. Now They’re Getting Fewer Orders.

I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.