| A little research can go a long way. When I planned a trip to Scotland, Iceland and Norway for one summer, followed by a tour through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia the next, I needed to find one piece of luggage that would work for both climates and be as easy as possible to move from place to place. I found the one for me, and I’ll tell you why below. It’s never too soon to get the best deal or ensure your vacation is hassle-free. A lack of research can also blow up your budget. One sneaky factor you might not pay attention to is how much you spend on alcohol, and the results of a little self-study might blow your mind. Keep reading for more on that, plus the Amazon Prime price hike, everything you need to know about buying pet insurance, details on Gmail’s new features, and the wild, wild news that Facebook is introducing a dating feature. If you go out with friends a few times a week or grab a couple glasses of wine after work, you may be destroying your budget without even realizing it. Alcohol is a sneaky cost that’s often so ingrained in our social lives we fail to note how much we’re spending – and if you have three drinks a day, five days a week, at an average of $10 a pop, you’re spending $7,800 a year just on alcohol. That’s... a lot. I know what you think when you see it: “That luggage is ugly.” It’s true. It looks like it belongs at a softball game, not a glam stop on the Adriatic. And if your vacation involves getting to one place and staying there, you may prefer something else. But High Sierra’s 26” Adventure Access wheeled duffel served me big-time on two two-week jaunts through Europe. My travel buddy, who used to fly around the world for work, was so envious of its functionality she went out and bought her own. Here’s why it’s perfect for traipsing from country to country, when you need something bigger than a backpack:  It has optional, stowable backpack straps. If you’re gonna book an Airbnb up a narrow staircase, stay in hotels without elevators, or walk cobblestone streets that’ll end even the sturdiest wheels, the ability to temporarily pop this bag on your back is extremely handy. (Keep in mind that if it’s full, it’ll be too heavy to wear for more than a short period.)It’s narrow enough for train aisles, tiny trunks and tight passages. You don’t have to drag this sideways as you find your seat or navigate narrow hallways in ancient buildings, since it’s only 14.5” wide. Like most rolling duffels, it also fits in hatchbacks and small trunks.It holds a ton, then expands 2” more. This bag is deep, with 6,120 cubic inches of space. When I splurged on two thick Icelandic wool blankets, it had no trouble expanding and zipping closed again despite holding two weeks’ worth of clothes. Interior straps and exterior buckles keep everything cinched down tight.The exterior compartments are perfect for things you want to access quickly. I love that the two large, U-shaped sections can be accessed on the go for stuff like toiletries, coats, umbrellas and hiking or shower shoes. You can even unzip the interior divider and reach deep into the main section through the bigger outside compartment. It’s soft. Hardsided luggage offers great protection, but you can’t smush it down. And you typically can’t reach any of your stuff without opening the entire case like a clamshell. It's often on sale, and you won’t cry if it’s lost or damaged. This relatively inexpensive bag probably won’t last a lifetime, though mine has already handled 17 flights and 7 train trips. It’s a good thing you can regularly find it under $90 and for as low as about $65. There’s a major new redesign to Gmail underway, and it will soon offer “self-destructing” emails. Gmail’s coming confidential mode will let senders set an expiration date that limits how long a recipient can access whatever information is contained in a sensitive email. You’ll also be able to password-protect a message, plus block a recipient from forwarding, printing, or copying it. On top of that, the new version of Gmail offers snoozing, nudging, and enhanced safety features designed to limit phishing scams. You can also see attachments without even opening a message.If the update is already available for your personal account, get it by clicking on the gear-shaped “settings” symbol in the upper right corner of your inbox:
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