Discover pays me to use their credit card. Pretty cool, eh? They will pay you too! I hear many people boast that they “only use cash” or complain that “credit cards are evil.” Well that is only if you let them use you. You CAN use credit cards to your advantage.

I am a very modest credit card user. I did spend about a year of my 10-year credit history being completely debt free, and it felt great. But when I started to improve my credit a little I realized I actually needed MORE credit cards, not less.

I was able to open a card with points. The gas hike was starting, so I applied for the Discover card which offers 5% back on gas and auto-related purchases. Now, nine months after opening the card I have received $68 in cash back!!!  As long as I pay the card off in full, that is money that I got just for buying things I was going to buy anyway!  I don’t pay the credit card companies; THEY PAY ME!

So remember, don’t pay with cash if you can get a card with points, but ONLY buy what you can afford!!!  I often use the card, then drive home and do a payment online that very day so I am not tempted to let it slide.

If you need to improve your credit and can trust yourself to be smart, get a credit card for gas only and pay it off monthly or better yet, every time you use the card. You will never pay interest and, if you have a card like mine, you’ll get cash back just for putting gas in your car!  You could save up all your rewards until Christmas time and then get a nice little boost in your shopping money!

So I really have to wonder, why do people who “only pay with cash” pass up on free money?