Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
19submissions
3days left
19 Women Who Live Alone Share What They Do To Be Safe
Maybe it’s a good thing that it’s ultimately impossible to achieve the perfect level of safety and security. We’re not the Sith and we don’t deal in absolutes, for one. But also because no-good mischief-makers are always on the prowl, looking for easy ways to grab our stuff and run. And we can’t let them get ahead of us, now, can we?
Women on Reddit have recently been sharing some secrets, tips, tricks, hacks, and other sorts of informal advice on how to make your home safer if you’re a woman living alone.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
A dog. He's little and fluffy but any dog deters break ins because they make noise and get in the way. It also goes a long way to quiet that paranoid "what if someone is hiding in the basement" voice because I know he would smell an unusual person in the house.
That, and honestly I stopped watching crime shows. For as much as I loved detective stories, it took me way too long to put it together that maybe my anxiety of being raped and murdered could be related to watching TV shows all day where someone gets raped and murdered, then going for a drive and listening to a podcast about someone who got raped and murdered, then unwinding before bed with a murder mystery. I stick to sitcoms now and I'm in a much happier headspace.
RELATED:
#2
I used to keep a baseball bat with a sock on the end near my bed when I lived alone.
It's to give you a second chance to swing if someone grabs the bat on your first swing ... they'll be staring a rando sock in their hand when you nail him in the balls or face.
Thankfully, I never had to use it!
#3
After this guy hid behind a door and kept trying find me in my building over 3 weeks (never caught), I have 2 door jams. One for my main door and one for my bedroom door as a failsafe if he gets past the front door to buy more time for emergency services to respond or to re-orient myself with weapons I keep in my bedroom. The doorjam was effective even when he shattered the door in half trying to gain entry one night. My dog actually saved my life, he knew he was hiding behind the door and refused to let me pass and huffed a warning. I heard him breathing through the door grate and was able to rush through before he could slam the door on my dog. Since then he now huffs to alert me when men seem to be following me and also a makes a loud single bark if he hears someone at the front door. It’s very helpful.
#5
When I lived alone in an apartment, I bought Men’s shoes from Goodwill & left them outside by the doormat so ppl didn’t think I lived alone. That & my 22 made me feel safe.
#6
I have a lot of strategically placed 3 wick jar candles. I don’t actually burn them, they’re there for pleasant scent and the fact that they can crack a skull. I had an incident many years ago, and as soon as you start lobbing those things your targets gonna run.
#7
One night I had a nightmare so vivid of someone entering my apartment via my 2nd floor balcony that I found myself standing outside my bedroom door, disoriented and ready to fight. I had never felt unsafe in my apartment, but that dream really shook me and made me think I needed to be better prepared.
I couldn't afford a security system, but, I had a bunch of tiny bells left over from a craft project. I tied them at intervals along a long piece of string and hung it on the balcony door in a way that, if the door opened it would make quite a bit of noise. Old school security alarm.
#8
My spouse is home alone once or twice per month when I'm away for work. She bought her own gun after we had a home invasion in 2016. Since then we've also had a home security system put in and adopted a pair of German shepherds, one of which is actually a retired K9 officer. The other is just a 90-lb butterfly who loves everyone, but the robbers and rapists don't need to know that.
#11
I no longer live alone, but when my husband is out of town, I feel safe knowing that I know all of my neighbors well enough to run to their house at any hour and they’d let me in. I also have two fierce guard dogs that bark anytime anyone gets near our house/me.
#12
I no longer live alone, but when I did I was VERY intentional about who knew where I lived and who I brought over. Current and ex partners are far more likely to be dangerous than random strangers.
Other than that, keeping doors and windows locked and alarmed doors when needed and maintained a mantra that I’ve done all I could and stressing beyond that was no more helpful than being at peace. Living in fear is a prison.
#13
I don’t live alone anymore, but when I did, my dog made me feel safe! Edit to add that even living with someone, my dog is a great alarm & safety system
#14
Lived alone with three kids for ≈15 yrs.
* Cameras 360° around the exterior of the house with motion lights and alerts
* Deadbolts on all exterior AND interior doors (including interior garage door)
* Padlocks on the gate to my backyard
* Window film & locks on all 1st floor windows
* Compact, modern sporting, and scatter-style defensive tools
* CCW permit
* Very barky dog(s) :)
* Pepper spray in every purse/bag, on my key chain, & work lanyard
* Disabled the auto-unlock feature on my vehicles
* Kept my garage clear so I could park IN my garage rather than on the driveway/street
* Good front and rear dash cam with sentry/parking mode feature engaged
* App on my phone (to check in with a trusted family member each day (2-way))
* Got to know my next-door & across the way neighbors and made a habit of letting them know when I would be traveling, expecting visitors, etc. (we are blessed to have had the same neighbors on 3 sides for
10+ years)
This all evolved over time, as I learned from my own and others’ experiences.
When I met my (now) husband he was at first taken aback, but now is as security-focused as me – and we’ve got his mom set up with similar systems and tools.
#15
I've lived alone in a downtown city and out of the city. What made me feel safe in the city was living in an apartment with a door that was inside a building rather than outside. Essentially, you had to have a key or pass code in order to get in, then keys to get in my apartment. However, I lived on the first floor, so I bought a door blocker and would put it behind my door as soon as I got home. I also have a baseball bat near my bed. I would sadly also have my blinds closed. Now, in my current place, I made sure I lived on the top floor and was a two door building. I still have a baseball bat, but I feel safer than when I lived downtown.
#18
I put dowels in the window sills , lock all the doors, bolt front door x2, pepper spray in the bedside table , sleep with my phone next to me,.
#19
I live in a apartment full of cameras in the building and I got a 22. My dad gave me. I feel pretty safe at my own home. Although to be fair I did upgraded my lock , did that at every apartment I ever lived actually.
Add Your Answer! This post is a community curated
Add Your Answer!
Related on Bored Panda
