Besides, leaving the garage door open allows strangers to see some of your belongings. If away for more than a day, have a trusted neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper. If possible, do not have either stopped. That gives information about you being away from home to others whom you do not know. If away for an extended period, have a plan in place to have the grass mowed or snow shoveled.
Place radios on automatic timers and turn up the volume so they can be heard outside.
If you are away from home on garbage pickup day, ask a trusted neighbor to put your garbage cans out to the street and take them back in. Also, have your neighbor use your garbage cans while you are out. Burglars sometimes check for empty cans as a sign the family is away. There are systems available that will open and close window draperies by timer. Constantly open or closed curtains can tip the burglar off that no one is home.