I have been avoiding using my credit cards. In fact since coming to Germany I have yet to use my credit card at all. Not once. It is part of my budget planning for my future traveling ability (for if there is less on it now then that is more that I can put more on it later). Ok that is such the wrong attitude to have towards credit card debt. But in honesty, despite my desire to pay off my credit cards being (as Mr. Luedee so adeptly put it) “my own personal hunt for the holy grail,” I have put myself on an increasingly shrinking budget that means if I do not have the cash to buy it, I do not buy it on credit. Seems simple, but is a massive step forward for a girl who always thought “but if I got hit by a bus tomorrow I would be so happy that I had my (insert Japanese toy, comic book, novel, food, movie here).”
So I am moving forward. And my paid posts (which I do a lot of) all go towards the card debt and therefore allowing for future travel. Because despite the trouble you can get into with a card, I still think every traveler should have an emergency credit card. You never know when you need that ticket home (or ahem that Jade bracelet). Plus with careful shopping around you can find a credit card with cash back and/or rewards.