I need a little help, ideas and such.

I am 20, going to school in somewhat of a shithole city (i.e. within top 5 murder-rate).

I just moved in yesterday and I don't have any roommates (two graduated, one disappeared).

My (locking) garage is 3 feet too short for my car to fit... my car is fairly desireable amongst "thug life".  I have a stereo in it.  I want to bring my other car to school, and it's even more desirable, and easier to steal... but it'll fit in the garage with the door closed.

I picked the bedroom that overlooks the (detached) garage, but I don't know what I should do about security, to alert me that someone might be breaking into my car while I'm sleeping.  Most of my neighbors don't seem like the kind of people that would break into my house, but I wouldn't put money on it (and I am).  Unlike my friend's house, which was robbed twice, they live across the street from a crack-house (no joke).

Around here, student's houses are usually cased, and robbed when the students are known to be in class or gone for the weekend... occasionally robbed at night, when everyone's thought to be sleeping.

I need a safe for my guns when I go out for the weekend, but I don't have one yet... and I'll probably keep putting it off.

What options do I have for cheap (under $100-200 total) security I can temporarily install in my rental house?

I'm looking for something to alert me when someone is near my car (hopefully before they bust the window), and possibly something to wake me up when someone is wondering around downstairs stealing shit.

What type of car?

get a dog and keep the shot gun handy at night, Thats right thee olde "Rotty & Shotty" defense plan.  

You will be wasting your money with that small a budget.

Just keep your good cars at home, and buy a junker to go to school in.  

As for your gunz, if the goblins suspect you have any, they will be gone, safe or no safe.

I am in the security business, and from your description, I wouldn't even do an onsite eval if the budget was under $2,000.

For you guns look at getting a Stack-On steel cabinet and then bolting it to the studs in a closet and filling the base with your ammo or something heavy.  It's not a safe but that setup will be a lot better than nothing.  You should be able to get one less than $100.

Lowes has all sorts of wireless motion detector setups.  Typically they are designed to turn on a light but you can get an attachment that screws in where the lightbulb goes will give you an outlet or both a light and an outlet instead.  Those were also under $100.  

For your budget that's about the best you are going to do.

Quoted:
For you guns look at getting a Stack-On steel cabinet and then bolting it to the studs in a closet and filling the base with your ammo or something heavy.  It's not a safe but that setup will be a lot better than nothing.  You should be able to get one less than $100.

Then hide your guns in the cold air return duct

1. ditch both nice cars and buy a crappy reliable one. You can buy another nice one after you get out of school.
2. Don't keep your whole collection unnatended.  Just keep one or two guns at this place.  The stack-on in the closet is a good idea.
3. Motion detector lights are your best bang for the buck with your limited budget, followed by good, re-enforced doorjambs.

Quoted: 1. ditch both nice cars and buy a crappy reliable one. You can buy another nice one after you get out of school.

It is a crappy reliable one... well, it was cheap, but it's not too crappy.

My daily driver, the one that's three feet two long for the garage is a '94 Cadillac Fleetwood and my other car, which I am currently paying $75 to store in Ohio is an '86 Buick Grand National that I want to work on while I'm at school.  It will fit in the garage, but I don't trust my Cadillac won't be broken into.  Of course, when I bring my other car to school, I'll park it in the garage and the Cadillac behind it, so it can't be driven out of the garage without moving the Cadillac first.

I don't want to install a car alarm in either car, because I don't think they're at risk of being stolen except when they're here.  The rest of the time, I live in a fairly crime-free area.

I'm in a house, not an apartment... so installing something with wires isn't a problem.  I can almost guarentee my landlord won't care.  I will just have to hide the wires.

Quoted: get a dog and keep the shot gun handy at night, Thats right thee olde "Rotty & Shotty" defense plan.

I'm too cheap for a dog and if I were to get a dog it'd have to be non-shedding, because half the year I live at home and my mom is allergic to damn near everything but poodles.  We (they) just got our (their) first dog and it's an insult to masculinity.

A Bichipoo, a Bichone Frize (which I think is French) & Poodle mix

You can't shoot a car thief.  (stupid laws)
But I doubt a cop would get too pissy if you hosed the guy with pepper spray.

Since your window is not far from the garage, one of the Fox labs streaming sprays
would likely work.  

Go to your local home improvement store (lowes, Home depot, etc)
and pick up a motion sensor.  

Wire it to activate an alarm in your room if anything triggers it.

Most of them now come with a photosensor, so they don't trigger in the daylight,
which is probably good for you.

Pepper spray  ~$40.00
Motion Sensor  ~$9.00
Extras to wire the thing together and a buzzer or small radio with the volume turned way up  ~$20.
Restraints so you can detain the bad-guy until the police arrive:  $20  (big-ass cable ties)

Quoted: You can't shoot a car thief.  (stupid laws) But I doubt a cop would get too pissy if you hosed the guy with pepper spray. Since your window is not far from the garage, one of the Fox labs streaming sprays would likely work.   Go to your local home improvement store (lowes, Home depot, etc) and pick up a motion sensor.   Wire it to activate an alarm in your room if anything triggers it. Most of them now come with a photosensor, so they don't trigger in the daylight, which is probably good for you. Pepper spray  ~$40.00 Motion Sensor  ~$9.00 Extras to wire the thing together and a buzzer or small radio with the volume turned way up  ~$20. Restraints so you can detain the bad-guy until the police arrive:  $20  (big-ass cable ties)

Well, I took your advice on pepper spray and I ordered some.  Though, I know there's no way it'll reach from my window, but if I had to go down there, it'd be a better option than asking him to sit patiently there while I call the police.

I'm not sure how I'll approach the motion dectector, but I pretty much knew that was my only option.

edit: don't let the poodle set it off.

Quoted: You can't shoot a car thief.  (stupid laws)

Move to TX.

Quoted: Quoted: You can't shoot a car thief.  (stupid laws) Move to TX.

I'm not sure if I would rather live in a state where I can shoot a car thief,
or live here where I don't need to know Spanish to order a Big Mac.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: You can't shoot a car thief.  (stupid laws) Move to TX. I'm not sure if I would rather live in a state where I can shoot a car thief, or live here where I don't need to know Spanish to order a Big Mac.

I don't order Big Macs.

I do enjoy the right to protect my property.

 Think about it.

go to radio shack and see what they have for remote motion sensors that will "ding" when someone enters your garage.  They also have one what will alarm your house with a motion sensor and call your cell phone if it goes off.  I put one in my temp apartment for cheap a couple years back.  Just make sure you secure the place when you leave.  one time I had a balloon my girlfriend gave me and it blew into the main living area and set off the alarm while I was at work.

Quoted: go to radio shack and see what they have for remote motion sensors that will "ding" when someone enters your garage.  They also have one what will alarm your house with a motion sensor and call your cell phone if it goes off.  I put one in my temp apartment for cheap a couple years back.  Just make sure you secure the place when you leave.  one time I had a balloon my girlfriend gave me and it blew into the main living area and set off the alarm while I was at work.

Did you race home and put a cap in that balloon's ass?

Tonight (right before 24) I went to Home Depot and bought a remote motion sensor.  Suposedly it'll beep when something goes near it.  Two AA batteries are supposed to last a year, but I don't understand how that'll work... anyway, I'm going to install it tomorrow, or next week.

ETA: I think I discovered a pretty good hiding spot for my guns.  On top of the kitchen cabinets, there's a 3" drop that will conceal any rifles I want to put up there, as long as the burglars aren't 8' tall.

You could buy those cable locks that run through the barrels.
Then buy a cable lock to lock them all together, and to something solid, like a couple of anchors
screwed to a couple of studs in your closet.  At least that way they would be in YOUR room,
and under your control most of the time.   In the kitchen, everyone has potential access to them.

Lemme guess: Detroit or Ypsi? Either way, sell your car while it is still nice, and get a beater. Those cities are going to be rough on whatever you bring.

Quoted: get a dog and keep the shot gun handy at night, Thats right thee olde "Rotty & Shotty" defense plan.

+1, "thug lifers" hate dogs that are big, aggresive, and out to get a bite of some Sean John's for dinner.

Kharn

Quoted: Quoted: go to radio shack and see what they have for remote motion sensors that will "ding" when someone enters your garage.  They also have one what will alarm your house with a motion sensor and call your cell phone if it goes off.  I put one in my temp apartment for cheap a couple years back.  Just make sure you secure the place when you leave.  one time I had a balloon my girlfriend gave me and it blew into the main living area and set off the alarm while I was at work. Did you race home and put a cap in that balloon's ass? Tonight (right before 24) I went to Home Depot and bought a remote motion sensor.  Suposedly it'll beep when something goes near it.  Two AA batteries are supposed to last a year, but I don't understand how that'll work... anyway, I'm going to install it tomorrow, or next week. ETA: I think I discovered a pretty good hiding spot for my guns.  On top of the kitchen cabinets, there's a 3" drop that will conceal any rifles I want to put up there, as long as the burglars aren't 8' tall.

don't think that a burglar won't look up there Kitchens are typical hiding spaces for valuables.  I never recomend that anyone spend much time strategizing based on what they think a BG will do.  I have a Mossberg 500 hidden in a similar area in my house...with a cable lock to prevent someone from using it on me if i should surprise them.