Thank god for credit cards. That little piece of plastic that you hold in your hand can come in handy many a time. It saves you the trouble of having to carry physical money in the form of notes and coins when your travel. And because they have become so universally popular, there are few outlets and people who do not use or accept credit cards. If you own a business, you need to accept the cards so that you can attract a wider clientele. A little bit of research on this subject tells me that a man called Edward Bellamy used the term in his novels somewhere in the later 1800’s. That was probably the first time anybody used the word. By the way, I own a Discover card and I am very very happy with the service they provide me. As long as you know where to draw the line with regard to overspending, you are not in danger of going bankrupt.