Here are some tips and tools to help you make the most of your budget for outdoor lighting and safety that makes a statement and turns your home into a nighttime showpiece in your neighborhood.

1. Consider solar powered lights. Solar power stake lights are a budget conscious option for path and safety lighting. Simply drive a stake into the ground; with no wires you save on your electric bill.

2. Consider safety first. Use motion sensor lighting to illuminate dark areas on your property without having lights glaring all night long. Check with your insurance company as you may get a break on the premiums for making safety improvements.

3. Less is definitely more when it comes to outdoor lighting. Avoid garish, overbright lights. An additional benefit to using fewer lights is a savings of wattage, and, in turn, expenses.

4. Don’t be afraid to be tacky. A single strand of tiny white Solar Power Christmas Lights twining a potted patio plant or edging the patio deck can be effective.

5. Turn to unusual sources. For instance, instead of using overhead or spotlighting for your patio or deck, rely on battery or solar operated table lanterns on your patio tables. Do not light what doesn’t need lighting.

6. Driveway, pathway and stairway lighting illuminate paths and walkways so your guests can make their way safely from vehicle to house, and it should outline your driveway enough that drivers can navigate it safely. Consider walkway lights along the edges of the driveway.

Solar lights, twinkly Christmas lights, and driveway and pathway lights, are just some ways to accomplish your goal. You can create many different effects without much investment if you take the time to plan your lighting carefully.