Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). My parents were some of the most thoughtful spenders I know, and they always got the most from their credit cards. Here are the lessons I took from my childhood watching their credit card habits. Create a banking buffer if your credit card is also 'for emergencies'My parents pointed out that their emergency fund was actually an extension of their credit card. If you don't want to spend the time, credit card 'hacking' probably isn't for youWhile I'm impressed at the ways they made credit cards work for them, somewhat akin to the popularity of "travel hacking" with credit cards that offer travel perks, I realized that the work they put in was real.

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