It kills me every time I see someone paying with cash or check. I always have to bite my tongue when I’m behind someone at the grocery store that is writing a check for their groceries. Why, I wonder, are you throwing your money away? Now there is the occasional circumstance where the person that chooses to pay with cash or check is doing so because they can’t handle having a credit card. They are afraid they will spend to freely and to often. I understand that and for those people I think they are doing what’s best for them.

The rest of us need to be using a credit card whenever possible. In January I received over $1,000 in cash back rewards from my American Express Blue card. They offer 5% back on groceries and gas and 1.5% back on all other purchases. If I had been using cash, check card or checks instead of my card I would have received $0.

There are a ton of cash back and reward card offers to choose from. Some of my favorites are below. If you are a responsible spender and have your budget under control then you have to be using a credit card. Otherwise you are just throwing money away.

Favorite Cash Back Cards:
Discover – Up to 5%
American Express – Up to 5% back with Blue Cash
Capital One – cash back credit card