How To: Moving Soon? This DIY Alarm Will Make Sure Your Stuff Stays Safe in the Truck Overnight

The worst part of moving into a new place is, well...moving. It's tedious, a lot of hard labor, and it can take forever, and don't even get me started on all those labels. It's also one of the only times in your life when everything you own can be stolen at once, since it's sitting in a movable container. Rather than risk losing everything, try this DIY Moving Truck Alarm System by Tim Flint that lets you know when the loading door is opened so you can catch would-be thieves red handed.

The device runs on an Arduino Diamondback with a WiFi module. Tim set a motion trigger on one of the sensors so that it would send both him and his wife a text message if someone tried to open the truck while he wasn't around. The text message was set up through Twilio, a tool that lets you program SMS messages. For added fun, he also made a voice recording that yells, "You've been caught. The cops are coming. You better run!"

The system is housed inside a RadioShack project box and is powered through a wall plug, but can also work with a 9V battery. If you want to make one for yourself, check out Tim's post for more details and all the code.

There are lots of other ways to cut costs when you move, and a lot of them make the process much more eco-friendly. Do you have any good tips for moving? How do you protect your stuff?