Credit cards often get a bad rap.
"There is no positive side to credit card use," personal finance guru Dave Ramsey wrote on his website. He has a good point, as our consumer-driven society makes it incredibly easy to spiral into credit card debt.
However, advantages to credit cards include the purchase and fraud protection they offer, and the fact that using them allows you to build the credit required for major purchases in the future, like a home or car. There are some situations when it's smarter to choose credit over debit - as long as you pay your bills on time, that is.
Now that that's out of the way, use your credit card responsibly for these eight types of purchases:
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Kathleen Elkins contributed to this story.