I'll pile on. Credit cards are definitely worth the trouble. In addition to all the other stuff mentioned, there's some value to having an immediate line of credit available 24/7 for emergencies. If your car breaks down while you are out of town and you need to get it towed and the transmission repaired on a Saturday, a credit card is a great thing to have.
Because I travel frequently and charge a lot for business expenses, I've found it useful to have all the major credit card brands. There are frequently promotions at the hotels I use for using one particular type of card, while other cards give extra cash back at various times for various types of purchases. I earn a few extra nights in hotels every year this way, and my cash back benefits amount to several hundred bucks for doing almost nothing.
BTW, I'm not a big fan of the cards that give airline miles anymore. The number of seats actually available for using these miles has shrunk so you often have to buy the tickets a year in advance. Plus, the number of miles needed for this travel is increasing all the time, effectively reducing the value of the miles. I'd go for a card that gives you something you can use any time: cash.
Because I travel frequently and charge a lot for business expenses, I've found it useful to have all the major credit card brands. There are frequently promotions at the hotels I use for using one particular type of card, while other cards give extra cash back at various times for various types of purchases. I earn a few extra nights in hotels every year this way, and my cash back benefits amount to several hundred bucks for doing almost nothing.
BTW, I'm not a big fan of the cards that give airline miles anymore. The number of seats actually available for using these miles has shrunk so you often have to buy the tickets a year in advance. Plus, the number of miles needed for this travel is increasing all the time, effectively reducing the value of the miles. I'd go for a card that gives you something you can use any time: cash.
