When most people think about credit cards, the first thing that comes to mind is DEBT.

For years, that was the story for me and my partner too… swiping the card meant we would owe money and keep playing catch-up with interest. But once we made the decision to become “debt free”, meaning no outstanding balances, no loans hanging over our heads, our relationship with credit cards completely changed.

Now, instead of looking at them as just borrowing tool, we use them as a way to make money work for us. The key? Being intentional about rewards, tracking which card to use where, and never carrying balances. Debt may be hard to avoid, but if you’re strategic, you can tame the capitalist beast instead of letting it devour you.

Recognizing the Privilege in This Approach

Here’s something important to acknowledge… not everyone has the ability to use credit cards in this way. For many people, living paycheck to paycheck makes it nearly impossible to follow a system that requires budgeting discipline and the ability to pay in full every month.

We recognize the privilege in being at a place where we can treat credit cards as a tool rather than a trap. For us, this blog isn’t about preaching what everyone should do, but about shining a spotlight on how credit cards can be used differently… as a benefit rather than just a borrowing mechanism.

If you’re not in a position to approach credit cards this way, that’s okay! This method might not work for every financial situation. But if you’re curious about how to flip the script, this is one way we’ve found success.

Why Credit Cards Can Be a Smart Tool

Credit cards often get a bad rap because many people treat them like “extra money.” But when used with discipline, they can act more like a loyalty program than a loan. Points, miles, and cash back rewards are essentially free perks you can earn just by paying for the things you already need to buy.

The trick is separating wants from needs. Using a credit card to book a vacation you can’t afford? That’s digging yourself a hole. Using a credit card that gives you 3% back on groceries or streaming services you already pay for every month? That’s playing the game wisely.

And if you pay your bill in full every cycle, you avoid the interest trap that ruins the reward benefits for so many people.

A Google Sheet and a Game Plan

Here’s where our approach gets a little nerdy but also really effective. We track all our current credit cards in a shared Google Sheet that breaks down:

• Reward categories for each card
• Bonus multipliers (like 3x points for groceries)
• Annual fees (and whether the rewards offset them)
• APR (so we’re fully aware of what the “real” cost would be if we ever carried a balance)
• Current offers or limited-time bonuses

This way, when it’s time to pay for something, we already know which card maximizes the return.

For example:

• Our streaming card gives us 3x points back on services like Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV. Since we were already paying for these anyway, switching the payment method was an easy win.
• Our grocery card gives us 3x back at the supermarket. Every shopping trip means stacking up rewards.
• Another card handles travel expenses, giving us better returns on flights and hotels.

It might sound like a lot to manage, but with the spreadsheet as our guide, it becomes second nature. After a while, it’s like muscle memory… swipe the right card for the right purchase, then sit back and watch the points pile up.

Debt-Free Discipline

The real magic isn’t in the rewards themselves. It’s in combining rewards with financial discipline.

We set a clear monthly budget for how much we spend on the cards. That budget isn’t a vague idea, it’s a hard cap we stick to. And when the bill arrives, we pay it in full.

Every. single. month…

By doing this, we don’t just avoid debt, we use credit cards as if they were debit cards with perks. If the money isn’t in the budget, it doesn’t go on the card. Simple as that!

A lot of people think being debt-free means cutting up your credit cards. For us, it means leveraging them without letting them control us.

Credit Cards as a Healthy Amount of “Debt”

Here’s something people don’t like to admit: debt is basically unavoidable. Unless you’re living entirely off cash, your credit score, loan applications, even renting an apartment, it all revolves around your relationship with debt.

So instead of running from it, we’ve chosen to treat debt like a tool. By cycling purchases through our cards and paying them off right away, we’re showing lenders we can responsibly handle credit. This builds our credit history, boosts our score, and keeps us in a healthy position for the future.

It’s not about pretending debt doesn’t exist. It’s about managing it in a way that works for us, not against us.

Why This Might work for you

This method isn’t about gaming the system or pretending it’s foolproof. Life happens. Emergencies pop up. Unexpected expenses sneak in. But having a structure: the spreadsheet, the budget, the discipline… creates guardrails.

Over time, the small wins add up. Points turn into free flights, cash back helps offset bills, and perks like travel insurance or extended warranties add peace of mind.

Most importantly, it feels empowering. Instead of credit cards being a source of stress, they’ve become a system we control… not the other way around.

Next Step

If you’re only using credit cards as a borrowing tool, you’re missing out on half the picture. With intentional planning, rewards tracking, and consistent discipline, credit cards can actually work in your favor.

For us, building this system has been both practical and oddly fun. It’s a small rebellion against the financial traps we were taught to fear… and a reminder that with the right approach, even something like debt can be shaped into something useful.

And if you’re interested in building a system like this for yourself, I’m sharing my FREE Credit Card Tracker Sheet with readers who want it. Subscribe and I’ll send it your way.

👉 Curious how we got to this point of being debt free in the first place? Check out our blog on How My Partner and I Became Debt-Free Before 35 to see the steps we took before building this credit card system.