There are three types of people in this world, those who remember to turn off their stoves before going on vacation, those who don’t remember to turn off their stoves before going on vacation, and those who can’t remember if they turned off their stoves before going on vacation.

Which category do you fall into? We won’t judge, especially considering we firmly fall into the last one!

Yep, we definitely are THAT person– you know, the one who can’t quite remember if we turned our stove off just when we’re boarding the plane. Because of this personality quirk, our long-suffering neighbors are pret-ty used to receiving panicked calls from us, asking if they could please check if we turned that dial all the way off.

Embarrassing, we know, but, lucky for us–and you now, too!– we learned quite the handy tip that we can’t wait to use when our next vacation comes around.

While we wish we could say that this brilliant bit of knowledge we’re about to drop on you was entirely our idea, it was our brilliant buds over at Lifehacker, who actually came up with this awesome hack. Here’s how it works:

After you’re done using your stove, snap a quick shot of its ‘OFF’ button as proof that it was, in fact, completely cold when you schlepped your suitcases out of the house and headed for the airport. That way you can be certain that your home is safe when that standard vacation-induced anxiety hits.

We know, we know, it might sound like a such a simple trick that you’d wonder why anyone would bother performing it in the first place, but, trust us, for like-minded folks who understand how real that ‘oh crap, my neighborhood is going to burn to the ground’ panic is, the hack is a savior.

Of course, the photo shoot doesn’t have to be restricted to your stovetop–you can also snap still lifes of your closed refrigerator, your cold clothing and/or flat iron, your desktop computer, and your garage.

No, we’re not too proud to admit that we’ve even left our garage door open before taking off on a 10-day vacation. Don’t judge!

Why taking these photos can also strengthen your home security plan

If you’re lucky enough to be one of those folks who has a perfect memory when it comes to readying your home pre-vacation, don’t think that this tip also isn’t for you! Instead of taking photos of things that come with an ‘OFF’ button, like stoves, you can take photos of your valuables.

Believe it or not, thieves are not always going to ransack an empty home, especially if they know where you store your most precious goods. This tactic often makes it so homeowners aren’t aware that their valuables are missing until some time later–a fact, which can cause major confusion and stress later on. If you take photos of your heirloom jewelry box, safe, etc., BEFORE you lock your doors, you will know with certainty whether or not something is missing. Smart, huh?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this vacation planning home hack. Have you forgotten to turn off the stove before going on vacation before? If so, what did you do? Do you have any tips for strengthening your home security plan while on vacation?