For me, it was that the Internet never forgets and that you should never enter your real name. In my opinion, both of these rules are now completely ignored.
It’s only expensive if you don’t pay it in full every month. I’ve had my credit card for years and have paid $0.00 total for it whilst it generates at least 1% cash back or more depending on where used. Not much, but it adds up and makes it beneficial.
I feel like a lot of small shops now (especially restaurants and convenience stores) charge for using a credit card in a manner that wipes out any benefit from “cash back rewards”.
To me the bigger benefit is that a card that is opened many years ago (pair on time) gets you a better credit score. This will net you much better deals throughout life for major purchases like a car or home (if you are lucky enough to still be able to afford one).
