Simple ways to keep your home safe when away on holiday

To make sure Santa is the only surprise visitor this season, use these safety tips from IndependentTraveler.com.

First, ask a friend to help. Give them a key and ask them to bring in mail and newspapers, water plants and just be visible at the house.

Second, don't tip off criminals on the web. We tend to overshare on social media. But don't post your trip or holiday pans before you leave town. No telling who's reading it.

Third, do tip off the police. If it's just a couple of days over Thanksgiving, don't bother. But if you're leaving, notify local police. They may keep an eye on your house while out on patrol. And definitely let neighborhood watch groups or security services know also.

Do you keep your curtains open or closed?

You may close them to keep strangers from peering in, but that also stops neighbors and friends from seeing what's going on inside. General rule of thumb, leave curtains the same way you always have them when you are home so there's no obvious change. And of course, move valuables out of sight.

Finally, lights on or off? Both. Don't light the whole place up. It'll run up your electricity bill and looks odd in the middle of the night. Instead, buy a couple of timers for lamps and have them flip on and off the a couple lights a few times each day and night. It'll look like there's someone inside.