Maybe you forgot to tell the bank you were going on vacation, and now you can't get money out. Whoops. (Hmm, might be a good idea to alert your bank before you leave.) Fortunately, Skype can do more than connect you to the missus: it offers free phone calls to toll-free numbers in certain countries.
Even if you have no SkypeOut credit, it's a lifesaver if for some reason you need to reach your cell phone or utility company while on vacation. (Google Voice offers some capabilities, but mainly only back to the U.S.) The feature has actually been around since 2005, but it's a nifty little trick that often falls by the wayside. It includes some of the countries below:
France: +33 800, +33 805, +33 809
Poland: +48 800
UK: +44 500, +44 800, +44 808
USA: +1 800, +1 866, +1 877, +1 888
At least hopefully, you won't be sitting up until 2 am to get the first groggy representative on the line. Time to convince them that you're not a Nigerian scammer, eh? And for your sake, let's hope you're not actually in Nigeria.
