| I’m obsessed with travel gear. There’s something uniquely satisfying about practical items that are well-designed, functional and make life easier on the road. I was pretty excited to find some decent items on the cheap this week at Ikea, and I share them down below.I was also thrilled to learn there are ways to stop scam and robocalls, especially on a cell phone. HuffPost's Ann Brenoff dives into the world of unwanted calls and shares everything you need to know to eliminate them for good. Plus, we’ve got travel tips, ways to keep your house cool without A/C, some helpful work advice and signs your partner is guilty of cheating on you financially (gulp). I started getting unwanted robocalls when I was given a new cell number for work that had belonged to someone whose child's school was extremely active with automated notices. It snowballed from there: Robot voices began offering me credit cards, or suggesting I extend my car warranty. Several times a day, I wanted to toss my phone out the window. I could have saved myself a ton of grief with these tips from Ann. Who knew I was doing something wrong by pushing a button to be “removed from the list?” Turns out that only makes it worse! Find out how to deal with robo and scam calls for good. I have a couple trips coming up this summer, so I hit up an unlikely place for travel items: Ikea. Although some items in the company’s travel collection felt a bit cheap – the toiletries bag was a little coarse – I picked up a few things I’m pretty pleased with. These aren’t the most luxurious packing cubes on the market, but they’re soft, extremely light, and the zippers don’t snag. You get *six* cubes for less than the cost of just one of the heralded Eagle Creek or Ebags cubes. I’ve been meaning to try packing cubes, so this is a great way to see if they’re for me without breaking the bank. I especially love the smallest size: At only about 1" high, it holds a week’s worth of undies but fits perfectly in the awkward space between the rails on the bottom of my carry-on without creating a hump.  The expandable compartment at the bottom of the bag zips flat when not in use, and the rubberized fabric, weather-ready zippers and overhanging side pocket flaps mean a drizzle won’t ruin your day (I held the bag's front under my faucet, the organizer pocket stayed dry). One large zipper opens a padded laptop compartment, while the other lets you access your items from the side. (Ikea doesn’t show this in photos of the Sommar, but you can see the design in action in pics of the similar Forenkla and Starttid backpacks.) It’s not premium equipment for avid hikers, but this feature-packed bag is perfect for casual overnights or a day at the lake or beach. (And if you do wind up in the woods, orange is a good accent color!)  If you loved Tetris, you’ll really love this set of TSA-sized bottles and containers for liquids, medicine and toiletries: The clear plastic bag is etched with their shapes so you know exactly where each one goes for best fit. They’re surprisingly squeezable for non-silicone tubes, come with a funnel and spatula for help with filling, and have a nearly 5-star rating from reviewers. At $1.99, buy two sets just in case one lid springs a leak. Turn off your automatic wi-fi when traveling, and only use ATMs inside banks. Those are just two tips from our roundup of ways to outsmart scammers when traveling this summer. While some are common sense, others – like enabling two-factor authentication on all your accounts – are relatively newer ways of keeping your information and money safe on the road.
Want more practical magic? Oh, and you can win, too! If you’re burdened by student loan debt, we want to hear from you. Send your student loan questions to moneyquestions@yahoo.com and HuffPost Life’s Money reporter Casey Bond will be answering them with three other experts in a Live Facebook chat on Tuesday, June 19 at 2 p.m. EST.Throughout the month of June, Yahoo Finance will randomly select winners and award $100 and $500 Amex/Visa Gift Cards to help eliminate your debt and conquer your finances. Visit bitly.com/yfsweepstakes to learn more and enter. Winners will be announced every Friday. HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More.No moon dust. No B.S. Just a completely essential daily guide to achieving the good life. Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it.©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
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