Buck - being debt free and credit free aren't the same things.
I pay my cards off every month - usually before the statement date.
As Norman said one upon a time - in another post - your credit is like your reputation. You need to show you can use it responsibly for when you do need it (auto/mortgage).
FICO loves to score off 3 cards - find 3 that will work for you now - and maybe in the future. You can always close stuff later or combine cards to keep the minimal three in your wallet.
I use mine to pay things I would anyway. AMEX and Discover for daily expenses - CAP ONE for the utilities that won't take AMEX or Discover. The Chase card was just a whim to see if they would let me back in - but I use it when I have my own temp holds on my cards (paid off and don't want to use until statement cuts). I gain the cash back - which is always nice - last month I was able to use my reward to pay the min payment (about $20) that I let report on my Discover card - it was like a free tank of gas.
Once upon a time I was over $100K in consumer debt (credit cards and auto loan) and had a 840 credit score. I even had a $25K unsecured line of credit at Wells Fargo. I learned the hard way and paid/settled debts) It took me years - and I mean years to get out of that mess - and only now am I really getting back where I want to be. I don't want to go back - I just want to buy a house - get a good rate - and quit throwing money away on rent.
Having credit is a means to a way - debt is a whole another story!
