Several months ago, we had a serious home security wake-up call with the news of a home invasion in our sleepy town with a population of less than 20,000.

In the middle of the night, two young, hooded thugs went from house to house in a beautiful new development until they found an unlocked window. Once inside, they held the terrified homeowners at gunpoint. Eventually, the perpetrators were caught and charged with seven counts, including kidnapping, grand larceny and attempted murder (what a story; trust me).

I cannot recall a time I was more grateful to have a robust home security system. Thankfully, our neighbors survived, but the trauma of the event together with the tremendous financial loss will be with them indefinitely.

According to 2017 crime statistics from the FBI, a burglary happens once every 23 seconds in the U.S. When you do the math, that's 3,757 burglaries a day! Mind-boggling.

While it's impossible to put a price on the value of protecting your home and family, there is an inexpensive yet highly effective way to defend your home against intruders.

Having considered, studied and evaluated home security systems, I'm convinced that we can accomplish this goal without spending a fortune.

SimpliSafe is my pick for the best inexpensive home security system because it is affordable, easy to install, user-friendly and offers so many options. SimpliSafe is available in a number of packages or a la carte; you can start with a basic package and add on in the future — cameras, additional sensors and monitoring.

SimpliSafe is available directly from SimpliSafe or from Amazon. If you are in the market for a home security system, I suggest you go to SimpliSafe first and then — once you see what is available, how it works, how easy it is to install and the best option for your situation — compare what you find with the current pricing at Amazon. (Exact links and resources at https://everydaycheapskate.com/simplisafe.)

WHY I REALLY LIKE SIMPLISAFE

The system is super easy to install. My son did his whole house in under an hour!

Nothing in a SimpliSafe system is permanent. That means no drilling, no screw holes and no wires. You don't need power tools or any other heavy equipment to get the job done.

SimpliSafe is totally self-contained. It can benefit from Wi-Fi if you wish to include that, but it's not necessary. You can add a camera(s), which is optional but highly recommended.

Monitoring is very reasonably priced at $14.99 a month for full 24/7 monitoring. This, too, is optional but highly recommended.

No contracts. This is the best part. You are not tied to a long-term financial obligation. If you choose monitoring, it's month-to-month on your terms.

App integration is solid — remote arming, disarming, etc.

It's legit. The siren is not a toy that just makes some noise. SimpliSafe is a full-featured alarm and emergency dispatch system.

Last and possibly most important: SimpliSafe is very reasonably priced and easily configured.

Would you like more information? Go to EverydayCheapskate.com for links and resources for recommended products and services in this column. Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a lifestyle blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."

Photo credit: geralt at Pixabay