Don't Lose Your Bills

Create one convenient spot for all of them, ideally a separate basket along-side your other mail, and keep all your bill-paying needs — checkbook, calculator, stamps, return-address labels — nearby.

Don't Lose Your Keys

Always keep keys in the exact same place: Hang them on a hook on your doorjamb (be sure it's out of reach of kids or pets), or put them in a designated basket near the door. "Being organized is really not rocket science," says Barry Izsak, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers. "It's about doing something in a systematic way and sticking to it."

Make not one but two backup sets of your keys, says real estate broker Tom Polley of the Corcoran Group, in Brooklyn, whose job requires handling dozens of sets of keys at a time. "Keep one set in your desk drawer," he says, "and give a set to a friend who lives nearby."

The Smart Find Remote Control Key Locator ($60, www.brookstone.com) comes with two color-coded key rings, two slim receivers you can stick to a TV remote or cell phone, and a wireless transmitter. Press the button on the transmitter that corresponds to the missing object and follow the loud (85 decibel) alarm to its hiding place.

The Sound Activated Key Finder with Microlight (shown above, right; $15, www.gadgetbargains.com) attaches to your keys; it beeps and flashes when you clap, whistle, or shout.

Instead of attaching your phone number or address to your key ring — a bad idea, for obvious reasons — try Codetag (individual labels, $2 to $3; variety packs, $15 to $45: www.codetag.com). This service provides labels or metal tags bearing an anonymous code number and the company's toll-free number or e-mail address. Anyone who finds your keys can contact the company with the anonymous code, and the operator will then contact you with the finder's name and number. You can also use Codetags on your cell phone, PDA, or camera. (The service is included in the price of the tag.)