Have a Garage? Best Put It to Use This Halloween

For my money, easily the biggest benefit of being a homeowner is having a garage to park my vehicle in. It is so nice, especially in the winter time, to get into my car after exiting the house without having to go outside. No warming-up the car, scraping off snow and ice, etc. After years of living in an apartment complex with an unsecured lot, I got so sick and tired of wondering if my car would be vandalized. Plus, having to sit in it for 10 or 15 minutes in freezing weather until the defroster kicked in enough to make a tiny "hole" in my windshield which to see through (c'mon, you know you've done it!)

Having moved into a brand new housing development, I'm always stunned by the number of people that don't use their 2 and 3-car garages to park in! Really? You have that much crap?!?! Not me man, no way, no how!

With Halloween coming up this Saturday, you may seriously want to consider clearing out some space to keep your rig safe. Here's why:

The American Automobile Association (AAA) has come up with a few suggestions for keeping you, and your car, safe this Halloween (Oct. 31st.) The organization estimates that your car is TWICE as likely to get "tricked" -- as in, vandalized -- on All Hallow's Eve as opposed to any other single day of the calendar year! To avoid that happening to you, think about parking it in a garage or well-lit area, and make sure to lock it all up. The good folks at AAA also remind us all to slow our driving speed down and turn our headlights on earlier than usual to keep an eye out for young trick-or-treaters. Leaving some lights on in your home will also help to dissuade vandals from screwing with you.