Are you about to move into your very first apartment? Do you know what you would do if you got locked out of your home? If you don't have a plan, being locked out can be confusing and scary. Here are some tips and ideas that you might want to incorporate into your contingency plans, just in case you do happen to misplace your keys:   

Duplicate set of keys: Some people may opt not to get a second set of keys right away, especially if they've just moved to a city where they don't yet have any friends or relatives that they trust. This can be an unfortunate mistake. Once the locksmith opens your door for you, what do you do next? If the keys aren't actually inside your home, you could have to wait for your apartment manager to change out your locks before you can start locking your door when you go out. While most locksmiths will have new locks to sell to you, your lease may state that only the apartment manager is allowed to change the locks.  Depending on your apartment manager, it could be more than just a few hours before he or she is actually able to take care of this. By having a spare set of keys in a hidden spot inside of your own home, you can keep going to work and not worry about random people finding out your door is unlocked and carrying away your stuff. 

Find a locksmith now: It's a bad idea to wait until you're actually locked out of your home to find a locksmith. If it's late and you're tired, you could wind up picking the first one you can find. When you do this, you run the risk of also picking out the most expensive locksmith in your area. By investigating professional locksmiths in your area, you'll know ahead of time which ones will have the best rates for where you live and which ones are so far away that their travel fees are prohibitively high for your budget. Once you've found a trustworthy locksmith, keep their number in your wallet or purse at all times. 

If possible, carry an emergency phone charger: Should you be locked out of your home in the middle of the night, you may not feel comfortable with knocking on your neighbors' doors to ask to use their phone. And if you don't have your house keys, you probably either don't have a vehicle or have also misplaced your vehicle's keys. With payphones being so rare as to be practically extinct in some areas, you'll have a difficult time contacting a locksmith if your phone is in need of charging. By carrying a small portable charger with you at all times, you'll be able to give your phone a boost in an emergency situation. Some portable chargers are extremely inexpensive, but require ordinary alkaline batteries for power. Others cost a bit more, but have internal rechargeable batteries that will be able to more fully charge your phone.