Protect your home from break-ins while you're on vacation

With vacation season in full swing -- and your mind in vacation mode -- it's easy to forget that summer is also the season of the burglar. That's because as more and more people get out of town, leaving their houses unoccupied, criminals are gearing up for the easy pickings of their busy season.

Obviously, if your house is protected with an expensive burglar alarm system, you probably aren't too concerned. But for those of us who don't have that sort of protection and aren't willing to go to the trouble of getting it, we here at WalletPop thought we'd offer up some cheap ways for people to protect their houses while they're out of town. While some of these tips may be old hat for you, the idea is to offer a friendly reminder to take some time to institute these measures before heading out of town.