Besides, we now had enough in savings that we could still afford to spend some on a vacation without completely blowing our safety net.

WSJ: The Price of Being Too Thrifty

C'mon, at age seven, visiting the River Thames in central London is probably on the top ten most unexciting ways to spend a crucial week of summer vacation, but if you could snag a WiFi signal whilst the 'rents oohed and ahhed at all the lovely sights, now we're talking.

ENGADGET: River Thames' banks now WiFi-enabled via mesh networking

For gorgeous beaches and affordable vacation homes, many East Coast travelers opt to spend a few days in the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

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