[Timothy]

I was taught a very simple way to use a credit card well. You use it like it's cash. If you don't have the money to pay it off before you have to pay interest on it, you don't need whatever it is that badly. My parents have done that. They have an insanely high credit limit (think in the small house price range) and yet have never got to the point where at the end of the month they can't pay it off and have to pay interest.
Credit cards are good because if there's any fraud, the credit card company takes the blame. If a company tries to cheat you or give a product that is a problem, the credit card company goes in to fight for you.
Basically the principles my parents taught me by their actions with money a simple principle: if it's not a mortgage on a house where you can theoretically pay it back at any time by selling it, you don't need to borrow money.

Tim