5 seconds: Patricia Garber, 45, Eureka, Ill.

( Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune / October 27, 2010 )

Garber knows precisely which of the two zippered pockets of her purse to go to and extracts the phone in five seconds.

That's because she meticulously returns the phone to the same pocket of her purse every time. The same goes for her car keys. "I know people who switch purses for their outfit. I think it's a good idea to always have the same purse."