Probably the worst thing that could happen this holiday season is for you to forget about keeping your home and belongings safe. I mean, we all work hard for our money, so it would be horrible if you left for vacation–and left your home vulnerable to a break in–or rushed through the last of your shopping only to get robbed in the parking lot.

That’s why I would recommend checking out this holiday safety tips post over at the Frugal Dad. He offers up some great ideas, such as:

* Notifying the cops when you’re leaving town

I never knew that you could ask the cops to check in on your house when you’re away. But a neighbor of mine recently clued me in to this option when she was planning a getaway to the Caribbean. All she had to do was visit the local police precinct, and fill out some paperwork about where she lived, when she would be gone, and how often she wanted the police to pop by. So I guess that means that the next time we go away on a trip, I’ll add “notify the cops” to my list of “stop newspaper delivery” and “have post office hold mail” (also tips that Frugal Dad offers).

* Silence the ringer on your phone

Wow, this was a new one for me, too. Who’d have thunk that an endlessly ringing phone would be a tip off that you weren’t home? In my house the remaining landline rings four times before switching over to voice mail. Maybe if I were going away, I would switch the number of rings before VM kicked in to only one ring. Why do this instead of turning off the ringer? ‘Cause I’m the kind of person who would forget to turn the ringer back on when I got back and then I would miss a ton of calls.

* Keep remnants of Christmas present inside the house

The idea behind this tip is not advertising to thieves the great items you’ve received for Christmas or Chanukah. In other words if you decide to get a flat screen TV or a Wii gaming system, don’t put the branded box outside on trash day–or at least not right away. I know this to be an important tip because I have a neighbor who didn’t do this last year, and the Saturday after trash day–after Christmas–when he’d put out the box for his new flat screen, his home was robbed. The thieves knew to target his home theater, and they took everything in it–including the new TV.

Some additional tips to consider include:

* Stop your newspaper and mail delivery

Newspapers piling up on your driveway/front step, and your overstuffed mailbox are veritable “please rob me” neon signs to thieves

* Have a neighbor take in packages

Though you can stop your mail through the USPS, you have no way of knowing if UPS or FedEx is going to drop a package on your doorstep, where it’s going to sit until you get home. That’s why having a neighbor be on the lookout for telltale deliveries–and then taking them in for you–will help to keep your house safe.

* Put your lights on a timer

This is a trick I remember from my childhood. You can just pick up a programmable light timer at Radio Shack or another electronics store, and it will turn some lights on in your house at “normal” times when people are home and then turn them out at “normal” times when people go to bed.

* Turn your thermostat down

OK, so this is more of a green-and-frugal tip. I mean, why heat your house–and pay for it–when you’re away? That’s why I would recommend making sure that you turn the thermostat down low before you leave.

* Shut off your water to avoid frozen pipes

This article from State Farm offers great advice for avoiding frozen (and burst pipes) and other winter disasters when you’re away from home.

What other tips might you add for keeping your home safe this holiday season?