House key crises are the norm to me, and it seems I’m not alone.

According to The Money Advice Service, keys were the most commonly lost item among UK adults last year. I specialise in losing car keys, and recently had to cough up several hundred pounds to pay for a couple of replacements. When it comes to door keys, it’s more about forgetting to take them with me than losing them while out and about and I’ve locked myself out of every house I’ve ever lived in at least once.

In my student days, I twice had to call on a neighbour to grab a ladder and break in through an open window when I found myself locked out. It’s a bit cringe when I think about it now – I mean, couldn’t I have waited until one of my many flatmates came home? But with no cash on me and no means of getting in touch with anyone – not wishing to reveal my fine vintage, but this was in the days when only the most glamorous of students had mobile phones – I obviously over-reacted slightly.

Anyway, this all got me thinking about my current lax approach to security matters, as it seems experience has taught me nothing. My neighbour knocked recently to ask if I knew the back door of our car was open. Turns out it had been open all night. Amazingly, nothing had been stolen. I’ve also gone out before leaving the front door wide open (I’d slammed it behind me, but … ). Recent stats have shown that I’m not alone in my tardiness – according to LV, when Brits aren’t asking our neighbours to break into our houses we’re busy sharing nearly 20 million spare keys with them – and friends, family and anyone else who’ll have one, subsequently losing track of the lot. Do you have problems finding a spare key when you need one? Or is it just me?

Yale suggest installing the latest in door lock technology to keep thieves at bay, but I’ll also be employing a bit of common sense in my bid to access my own home – and car – and keep burglars out of both.