How private is your private life?

How private is your private life?
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Without even realising it, you may be giving away info about yourself, your family, and your lifestyle. Here’s what your neighbour might secretly know about you.

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You’re away on a holiday

You’re away on a holiday
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Signs that you’re away on holiday include newspapers piling up on your driveway or front stoop, mail overflowing from the mailbox, and darkened windows. So if you don’t want the fact that you’re away on vacay to be obvious, arrange with the post office to hold your mail and for your newspaper delivery to be suspended, and set some of your indoor lamps to turn on and off automatically with a timer. But don’t leave your outdoor lights on 24/7 as that’s a dead giveaway you’re not home to turn them off.

Find out the 13 secret signs you’re house is being watched.

Your political leanings

Your political leanings
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How you decorate the outside of your house offers your neighbours subtle clues about your party registration. If you post political signage on your front lawn, your neighbours will be able to assume, pretty much without a doubt, who you’ll be voting for in the next election.

Meanwhile, here is what you’re dinner party host secretly thinks about you.

What you like to watch on TV

What you like to watch on TV
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What you watch on television can be tracked by your provider, so to keep your information private, you can turn off data sharing in your TV settings. What you watch on television can also be tracked by nosy neighbours who can see into your windows. So if you want to keep your television choices private, consider placing your television on a wall that can’t be seen directly from the street or from a neighbour’s window. And consider privacy-enhancing window treatments.

Your online shopping habits

Your online shopping habits
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Shopping online is super-convenient; it’s also a super-convenient way for your neighbours to know your shopping habits, especially if the delivery person leaves your packages waiting for you on your doorstep or outside of your garage. If you don’t like the idea of your neighbours knowing your online shopping habits, some online retailers allow you to purchase online and pick up in person. Of course, that’s not quite as convenient, so you’ll have to decide where to strike the balance.

Look out, here are 11 ways thieves can steal your identity.

Your kids are having parties when you’re not home

Your kids are having parties when you’re not home
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Even smart teens do stupid things, and your neighbours will probably know before you do if your kids are having parties when you’re not home. But if you use these tips to build trust with your neighbours, you may be able to get the scoop on what’s happening at your house when you’re not around.

Your pet is out of control

Your pet is out of control
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When your pet is out of control your neighbours usually notice – even if they don’t complain to you directly. Signs of an out-of-control pet include excessive barking and/or your pet roaming freely throughout the neighbourhood.

Discover the 13 quietest dog breeds who won’t bark too much.

You lost your job

You lost your job
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If you’re suddenly home during the day whereas you never were in the past, your neighbours may suspect you’ve lost your job. There may be nothing you can do about it other than keeping a low profile, but if you can network with them regarding new job opportunities, it might not be such a bad thing.

Don’t miss our guide on how to survive anything – including losing your job!

You’re having money problems in general

You’re having money problems in general
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If you let your house or your yard fall into disrepair, or if you’re selling off your belongings (which might be apparent if you have removal vans pulling up to your house and driving off with your leather sofa and your 60-inch television), your neighbours may suspect you’re having money problems, whether or not you are. If you are, in fact, having money problems, there may be nothing you can do about this, but hopefully, your neighbours will be kind and supportive, rather than nosy and invasive.

Here are 25 things in your house that could be worth money right now.

There’s been a death in the family

There’s been a death in the family
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When there are a lot of cars parked in the vicinity of your house, it could mean that you’re celebrating something (a graduation, for example). But if the cars continue to appear for several days in a row, and if the people coming to visit are dressed sombrely and carrying casseroles, your neighbours may suspect that there’s been a death in your family.

This is what you should do when someone is dying.

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