credit card strategy

There's another huge topic on what you can do to make your credit better. I won't get into that because that's a much broader topic.

Here's a list of things to do in relative importance:

1. Pay off your credit cards on time - interest rates on cards are usually terrible.
2. Use a card that has a high reward. The Chase Freedom card is currently one of the better ones out there since (unlike Discover and AMEX Blue) you get the 1% bonus with the first dollar that you spend. Preferably the card would also have bonus rewards for certain items. If you spend well over $1100 a month on a card, the AMEX Blue card may be better for you, but not all places accept AMEX. You could save hundreds of dollars a year!
   
3. Use your rewards card on everything possible. This would not only save you 1% on everything you buy, but you can also sit on that money for an extra few weeks before your bill is due.
4. If you have recurring expenses (such as utilities or rent), use your card if you can. Yep. Even more savings.
5. Never use your debit card. Debit cards don't have the same fraud protection as credit cards and you also get your money withdrawn immediately. With credit cards you can hold on to your money for an extra few weeks. With an interest bearing account that translates into $10+ a year (depending on how much you spend and your interest rate).