Your home should always be a refuge and a sanctuary from the world. Coming home after a long day of work and enjoying all of your home's comforts and your possessions is a nice feeling. At night, and when you're away from home, it's only natural that you want to be sure that your home and your valuables are safe. While you might think that a home security system is prohibitively expensive, there are a few ways that you can cut costs and make protecting your home affordable.One of the ways you can immediately make a home security system more affordable is to choose an unmonitored security plan. Although a monitored system will provide you with more security and a faster response time, many criminals will flee once they've realized they've tripped any security system, monitored or not. Similarly, make sure you're only paying for what you need. If you're comfortable with an alarm system, don't waste money installing cameras, motion sensors, infrared sensors and other gadgetry that would make James Bond jealous.If the security system you bought is wireless, you might be able to install it yourself and save a bit on installation costs. Owning a home security system can also save you some money on your home insurance costs.If you still think a home security system is too expensive, you can try a risky, though cheap, option for deterring criminals. Part of keeping your home secure is to make it appear as though it is an unattractive target. Displaying a few signs that advertise your home has a security system in it, or that your home is being watched by a security company, might scare off a few criminals who don't want to deal with the hassle of getting by a security system. However, this trick won't work on dedicated or thorough criminals, and you will be using this trick at your own risk.Even though it's always nice to be able to pay for a little extra peace of mind, you will want to make sure that you don't go overboard on a home security system. Buy only as much protection as you need, try to install as much of it as you can yourself and check if your home insurer will lower your premium.