I constantly lose my keys. I put them in the weirdest places and have spent far too much time retracing my steps to try to find them. I probably text my roommates at least twice a week asking where they are so I can get their keys from them. It has become an ongoing joke with my roommates about how often I get locked out. I once had to sit outside my apartment at 8am when it was raining waiting for one of my roommates to wake me up so I could get in. But despite all of this, I kept forgetting my keys. However, after getting locked out two days in a row, I decided it was time for a change.
Here are my tips to avoid losing your keys and getting locked out of your apartment!
- Make sure you always put your keys in the same place when you get back.
My biggest problem with losing my keys is that I would put them in the pockets of the jackets I was wearing. I would have no idea where they were and would spend far too much time trying to retrace my steps. I would recommend buying a key rack or having a designated place in either your room or your kitchen!
- Communicate with your roommates when you do not bring your key with you!
So often, I have left my key and not told my roommates. This has a 100% guarantee of getting locked out. However, when I tell my roommates that I do not have my key with me, they often leave the door unlocked OR lend me their key!
- Double check to see if you have your key before you leave the house!
I cannot tell you the amount of times that I have left my apartment thinking I had my keys in my backpack. As you can probably tell from the theme of this article, most times I did not have them in my backpack. From someone who is always running late, I know that this can be time-consuming but this way you know that you will not get locked out of your apartment!
- If you actually lose your keys and cannot find them, make a spare!
ACE Hardware and other stores have ways for you to make spare keys for fairly inexpensive! Making a couple spare keys and keeping them in a drawer could definitely come in handy if you lose your key!
- Pick roommates who accept you despite how often you lose your keys.
Shout out to the world’s best roommates!! I hope these tips have been helpful so you can avoid getting locked out of your house or apartment!