Day 7: Keys

What: Keys

Why: Whoever invented the key, should’ve invented a “nametag” to go on the key so that we know what the key is actually for. Don’t you agree? Yes, I know they sell those color-coded key covers, but they still don’t help if you don’t even know what the key is for.

When we recently moved, we found numerous keys that we did not have a CLUE what they were for. Some of them, after much thought, we could figure it out, but others, in the trash they went. You may think that is dangerous to do because we may need it someday, but honestly, the items we have that need a key, we have keys for. So the others, we threw away.

Do you have random keys sitting around your house? Well, today we are going to organize our keys (something you probably don’t think about doing everyday).

How:
1. Get all of the keys in your house – they are probably in the most random spots, but get them all.

2. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you know what each key is for?
• How often do you use the key?
• Is it stored in the best place where you can easily find it?

3. If you do not know what some of the keys are for, set them aside. I think it would be wise to go through your house and see what takes a key – if you can not find anything that that key may go to, throw it away. For all you know, it’s one of those random keys you get in the mail to see if it will open that new 2013 Ford F-150 at the dealer.

4. As for the others – the ones you use on a daily basis, keep in one location – like a key rack, in a dish, whatever works best for you. For all of the others, this is what I suggest:

• Getting those snack-size ziplock bags and labeling each bag with a sharpie, what the key is for.
• Or you can buy those small manila “pouches” and put a key in each one and label it.
• Store all of those keys in ONE spot, so that you know EXACTLY where to look. We have put some of our keys in our safe because it’s a “safe place” for them.

5. Now you know where ALL of your keys are and what they are for!

Confession of the Day: We were those people who had keys and didn’t have a clue what they were to – once we cleared them out, we realized really how many keys we DIDN’T need. Now all of our keys are in “findable” places and we know right where to look. Too often I hear people say “where are the keys?” Hopefully you never have to ask that question again!