To think I might have been burgled?

Ps on the off-chance your bag is still in the house somewhere, have you asked St Anthony for help?

Dear St Anthony, full of grace
Lead me to its hiding place.

The advice is to leave things like car keys downstairs. If someone comes into your house to take your car the chances are they are doing it to order.
The scenarios go like this: they break in, find your keys, take the car and go. You are upset and flustered then claim on insurance.
or
They break in. Can’t find the keys. Ransack the place, come into your bedroom. Possibly hurt or threaten you for the keys.

I know which option I prefer.

As it is if you have keys that work remotely they often don’t even need to break in. They can get the key details without even opening the door.

It sounds like someone has access to a key.

Change the locks and fit a chain too. If someone did try to get in when you're home they'd make a noise.

It’s just good sense. It takes seconds to shove it under some jumpers. Modern thieves want small, easy to carry high value items like purses, car keys and portable electronic items like phones and laptops. If you leave these lying around. They’ll take them.
I hide the car keys and my purse is upstairs with me.

If your home is 'very untidy' I suspect it's far more likely that the missing items are still in there somewhere.

Change the lock by all means but go through each room methodically.

Twice I've lost my bag over the last year. Once it was hanging on a coat hook in the hall (under 2 coats) and once in the boot of the car (usually goes in passenger foot well, no idea why I put it in the boot that day).

Change the lock and get a Ring camera if it'll bring you peace though.

Could someone related to your ndn keyholder have used their key?

And I did hear of someone who claimed her house had been burgled and her laptop stolen. Her laptop had been handed in at a police station 20 odd miles away, rather battered as she’d driven off leaving it on the roof of her car the previous day.

Change your door lock. Could be a previous tentant found an.old key, and used it? When we move into houses, we always change the locks. A ring doorbell or equivalent would be great too.

Could you have left it in your car or at work? Or somewhere you went yesterday?
That seems more likely than you having a burglar.

Burglars would take pill boxes if any pills in them, paperwork for identity theft. Lost in an untidy house may be most likely but that does not rule out burglary.

Burglars are more interested in cash or stuff they can sell than cards these days. Would be prudent to cancel them though.

I had a little wager with myself that it wouldnt be long before someone would suggest a loft dweller, thanks for not disappointing 😂

Yes, it's a walk in the park - just get one the right length :)

Doesn't need to be a ring camera right now, just get any old wifi cam from Amazon and sit it somewhere it can see the door/livingroom/wherever stuff seems to be going missing. I have one sat on my front windowsill so I can see people on my drive.

The carbon monoxide alarm is also a good shout though.. just in case.

I have a decoy safe in my wardrobe (one of the kids bought it when they were little, and then forgot the code to get into it - I think it's got a comic and about 12p in it, and and airtag in my purse, keys and bag (due to me also being a bit messy and often getting distracted when I come in the house and putting things different places)

When I was in a flat someone from next door was coming in through the loft hatch. He was taking silly little bits, a Christmas ornament, a non valuable ring etc. He opened my jewellery box and scratched my Grandmother's face out of a solid gold locket, I thought I was going mad. Never got to the bottom of why he did it. Could someone get into your flat that way, OP?

Seriously? You think someone broke into her house on 3 separate occasions, once stealing a pill container, once some random paperwork and once her handbag? You feel this is way more likely than she misplaced them in the mess?

It's really really easy. Definitely think you should do it!

I don’t know what you can do if you can’t find them. But I would change the locks and get a ring doorbell. If you’re not a tidy person it’s a tough one but I would clear the clutter in hope that I would find them. One room at a time.

Op, it reads like ypu may have misplaced some things.
I mean, don't get me wrong, you could have been burgled, but it seems you're losing a lot of stuff.

How are you feeling in yourself? Are you stressed or anxious? Losing things was the first sign that my memory wasn't right (I'm not specifically talking old age related here, my memory issues started at 32)
It's worth keeping an eye on, and maybe speaking to a GP.

Practically, I think you need a day to tidy. Find whatever it is that you can. If you don't find the bag then it may have been stolen but you won't be able to narrow that down until you've tidied up.
But you should change your door barrel cos it'll make you feel safe.
Then order yourself an over door hook, so when you get home, you can put your bag on it and that becomes where it "belongs" so you know for certain where it is, maybe put your keys there.
Get a bowl for your medication. You know like the big decorative ones. Don't move the boxes away from it. Stand in front and take your medication.
Paperwork etc- just buy a safe. I have one. I don't specifically even lock it, but I know where all the important stuff is.

My house is constantly being torn apart because there's something I can't find (usually part of a set of one of the kids outfits)

Is slightly better since I decluttered though.

And yes, ring doorbells. I've picked up on the local addicts trying to get into my house, and ransacking my car, numerous times.

Hopefully you've just lost things in the clutter but it is worth considering whether your trusted neighbour is trustworthy or whether someone they live with or who visits them may not be

If you've been burgled, do you need to cancel your bank cards? Check your account now to see if it's been used.

Well if being over-anxious means I have no idea whether I have been burgled or not yeas good be an issue, no idea why this perfect word gets thrown about 'Oh everyone and their perfect life' not sure what replies the op was expecting really

Have you got carbon monoxide alarms? Any confusion like this reminds me of the infamous reddit thread - please nip out and get one today, then take it round your whole house room by room to check.

You say you are in a flat. To you have an outer door to the building? Do any of the other flats have Ring doorbells?

I lose stuff all the time and usually in trying to find one thing I find a previous lost item. I would suggest calm and see if you can recruit a friend to have a blitz on the place. You will probably find all the items. And while you are at it get a eufy doorbell and internal camera. Piece of mind and no subscription. I set mine up easily and means I can check on the cats when I am away. Good luck ;-)

“She's hiding it because she's aware some people break into homes during the night.

I expect you have funny ways too”

My understanding is that the advice is to leave your handbag in the hall overnight so that, if someone breaks in, they can grab that and go rather than being motivated to come further into the house looking for something to steal. That’s why I leave my handbag in the hall. (I have my phones with me overnight though).