Keeping a thief out of your home shouldn't be a difficult task if you keep in mind that criminals love easy targets. Knowing this, your only goal is to either convince them that you are home or to make your house seem like it's not worth the effort. Check out some simple tricks below.

1. Don’t leave your electronics boxes out on the curb.
2. Always remember to remove flyers from your doorstep.
3. Put bumper stickers on your car to make it easily identifiable.
4. Keep your landscaping neat and trimmed so thieves can’t lurk unseen.
5. Buy light timers for your indoor and outdoor lights.
6. When loading a car with suitcases, keep it quick and hidden if possible.
7. Pretend like you’re saying good-bye to someone inside when you leave your home.
8. Don’t leave a ladder just hanging out in your backyard or you’re making a burglar’s job easier.
9. Make sure that your mirrors don’t reflect your home alarm to the windows.
10. Mow your lawn! If you don’t it will look like you’re away.
11. If you go out of town, have a neighbor leave tracks in the snow.
12. Don’t leave status updates broadcasting that you’re away.
13. Fake a TV glow with a flicker lamp.
14. Build a secret hiding place for your valuables. Go online, there are thousands of ideas.
15. Get a motion-sensor home security system that lets you monitor your home with your smartphone.
16. Buy some fake alarm system decals if you can’t afford a real one.
17. Install some dummy surveillance cameras.
18. Invest in double glazed or toughened glass windows.
19. Use a wooden dowel or metal bar for sliding doors and windows so they can’t be pried open.
20. Reinforce your door jambs if you have weak door frames.
21. Cancel your newspaper subscriptions and ask the post office to hold your mail while you’re out of town.

One other trick you could try that's been known to work is to buy yourself an NRA sticker to put on your front door. Regardless of your views on the organization, you can bet that a thief will think twice before breaking into your home when there is evidence that you own guns. Making it seem as if the house is occupied is generally the best rule of thumb to go by, as thieves prefer houses that are unoccupied. Another goal is having good relationships with your neighbors, who will keep an eye on suspicious activity for you while you're away, provided you do the same for them.

This helpful list was made available thanks to Buzzfeed. To see the full article, check out the site.