If you have an older car (generally pre-1995), you can get a locksmith to make you a spare key very inexpensively. Look for an automotive locksmith. This is a service that many general locksmiths have, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one.

If you have a newer car, it uses a transponder key. These keys have a tiny computer chip installed in the plastic head of the key, and it must be programmed to match the transponder in your car. With some keys, as long as you have the original key with you, you can do this reprogramming yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have to get an automotive locksmith or your car dealer to do program the transponder key for you.

With keys you can program yourself, reprogramming takes about 45 minutes (most of which is time spent waiting). Read your car’s owner’s manual and if you’re able to program your keys, the manual will give specific instructions. But generally the procedure is something like this: Put the unprogrammed key in the ignition lock and turn it to “run.” Your car’s theft indicator will start flashing. Wait 15 minutes or so until the theft indicator light stops flashing. Within 5 minutes turn the ignition to “off” and then back to “run.” The theft indicator will flash for another 15 minutes. When it stops, turn the ignition “off” then back to “run.” After the third time you do this, the control module erases the stored keys and memorizes the new key as valid, and it should start the vehicle. You can program additional keys this way.

Not all newer cars have keys that you can program yourself. If you can’t, then you’ll have to get a spare key from your car dealer or from a locksmith. Sometimes car dealers tell you that dealers are the only source for replacement keys, but that is rarely the case. With the vast majority of cars on the road today, an automotive locksmith can replace and program new keys, and often they can do it for a much lower price than what dealers charge.

Automotive locksmiths today have hardware and software to cut and program keys quickly, and often their cutting tools cut the keys to a narrower tolerance than the cutters at dealers. This means you can often get a better-fitting key from an automotive locksmith.

Like with any personal service, you should call several locksmiths and compare their prices and service. Most are honest, but there are a few rogue ones. Generally, when it comes to non-emergency key replacement, you’re less likely to run into a rogue locksmith who is only interested in taking advantage of people in vulnerable situations. Nevertheless, it pays to call at least three or four locksmiths to get estimates.

With lost car keys, you’re only faced with replacing the keys, which is a fairly easy process. But if your keys are stolen, and a thief has access to your car (and perhaps your home or business as well) then locks will have to be replaced for security.

If your home’s keys are stolen, check your building policy first. Some of them include coverage for locks and keys. If the building coverage doesn’t include key and lock coverage, check the “contents” part of your insurance policy. If this provides no information, check the exclusions section. If you can’t find information anywhere, you’ll have to call your insurer to ask. Often you will have some coverage for the cost of locksmiths, but depending on your insurance deductible (excess) you may end up paying for the costs out of pocket.

If your car keys are stolen, try to arrange to park away from home until the locks have been changed, and use a steering wheel lock or a wheel clamp. You could have the car towed to a safe place if you end up with no keys at all. Call the police immediately and get a report made. You will need a police report number to make an insurance claim. Provide the police with a complete account of the crime and tell them you believe the thief may try to use the keys to steal your car. If other keys (such as your house keys) were stolen too, tell the police what keys the thief has access to.

When car keys are stolen from your house, you may not have coverage under your homeowner’s insurance. However, you may be able to make a claim through your car insurance, though the deductible (excess) may mean you pay for this out of your own pocket. Your rates will most likely go up after your claim. Keep in mind that you can buy specific separate car key insurance so that a claim will not affect your car insurance premiums.

Sometimes you can reclaim costs for stolen car keys through your car’s warranty provider, if keys are included in that policy. And sometimes breakdown insurance includes car key protection.

If you keep spare keys to your car or your home in a spare key rock or stone (a container for keys made to look exactly like a rock that you can include in your landscaping), remember to replace the keys that you store there. Your old spare keys will do you no good once you have the locks changed.

Should your keys be stolen from someone else’s car or home, their theft cover may take care of the costs, but you will need a police report to make a claim and you will have to pay a deductible. If the deductible is high enough, it may be best to have the locks changed, pay for it, and refrain from making a claim, which would inevitably raise premiums.

It sounds like a great idea, and it is. But these boxes can be stolen if a thief finds it. Therefore, it’s important to hide the magnetic box where it’s not that easy to get to. Additionally, you can buy magnetic key boxes with combination locks for an extra layer of security. When searching for the best place to hide your spare key box, you need a flat metal surface and it needs to be clean, with no undercoating (which makes the magnet not adhere well).

Before attaching the box, clean the area with a damp rag to get rid of any debris. Once you attach the box, pull on it to see if it comes off easily. The box should have a strong magnet that’s hard to pull off. Otherwise, it can fall off when you hit a bump in the road or when you go through some car washes.

If you attach it to a vertical surface, make sure it can’t slide open. Place it so that it slides open upward rather than downward, where gravity plus a series of bumps in the road could cause it to jiggle open gradually, causing your spare keys to fall out. Try to find a spot that is reasonably easy to get to, but not too easy to get to.

Car thieves know all the common and easy-to-reach spots for these spare key boxes, so you want to make it a little bit challenging to get to. That said, if you have to wear nice clothes for work, or often dress up to go out, you don’t want it so hard to get to that you end up crawling around on the ground in your best suit. Make it as difficult to get to as you will reasonably be willing to cope with.

Another thing to consider is the composition of the box. You want an all-metal box. Many of today’s cars have immobilizers that work with a signal from the key. If you should hide your key too close to the ignition in a box that’s not all metal, your immobilizer may allow it to start when a thief breaks in. If you are then found responsible for a failure of the immobilization system, the insurance company may not pay for it.

Today you can also find magnetic spare key holders with redundant attachment means, such as an adhesive plate, or an anchor point for a cable tie or a strap. Make sure that you choose a waterproof box, because if you have transponder keys (and most cars on the road today do) they could be ruined by wet weather.

Magnetic spare key boxes are great, but they aren’t foolproof, so choose one carefully, find a good spot to attach it to your car, and make sure it attaches firmly and can’t slide open when you hit bumps in the road.

The first decision you have to make is whether you want to purchase of full size spare or a space saver (sometimes called a “donut”) spare tire. Full size spares are great if you don’t want to be saddled with having to hurry to a service center to have a tire fixed, because full size spares don’t have the mileage limitations that space savers do. Many people prefer a space saver tire, however, to save trunk space.

If you choose a full size spare, consider having it added into your regular tire rotation schedule so that tires will all wear evenly. This is also a good practice to ensure that the spare tire is always inflated properly so you can just change your tire and go without worries.

If you want a full size spare tire, you need to know what size to get. Look at the sidewall of the tires on your car and find the tire size number. It will begin with a letter, usually a “P” and will be followed by a number, a slash, another number, a letter, and a final number. An example would be P165-80R13. Your particular vehicle will accept only certain sizes of tires and wheels. Make sure you get the right wheel for your car so that the bolt patterns match up. Also make sure the seller attaches the tire to the wheel for you, or else you’ll have to get a local mechanic to do it.

With that information, plus the brand of tire (which is also printed on the sidewall of your tire) you can go to any number of websites that sell auto parts or just wheels and tires and check prices for the particular size you want. Check a number of websites for same tire so that you can compare prices. Once you find the tire you need at the price you want, simply go through the website’s checkout process, where you’ll have to enter credit card or bank account information to pay for it.

If you want to get a space saver tire for your car and already have one that you need to replace, get the sizing and brand information from the sidewall of the space saver tire. It will generally begin with the letter “T” which stands for temporary. That’s because space saver tires are only a short term fix when you have a flat. You want to repair or replace the full size tire as soon as you can.

Finding a space saver tire online is a little trickier than finding a full size spare, but it can be done. Sometimes you can find someone who sells salvage parts, including space saver spares plus wheels. Again, you have to have the right wheel so the bolt patterns will match up. Read the seller’s refund policy thoroughly before buying and make sure you agree with the terms.