home security self install

Best DIY Home Security Systems in 2026: No Monthly Fees Required

The notice arrived on a Tuesday. My home security provider — a company whose name I’d seen on little yard signs in every neighborhood in my part of Texas — informed me that my monthly monitoring fee was going up again. From $39.99 to $45.99. “Due to increased operational costs.” The letter had a smiley sun graphic on it, which felt like a personal insult. I did the math right there at the kitchen table. Fourteen years. I’d been a...