There are many credit cards out there that pay you back for using them. For example, I am a big traveler, and I have gotten many miles--literally--from my Citicard. To Spain and back, to be precise. I saved up enough points (with some help from their triple miles program in effect for a while) to obtain a roundtrip ticket for me and a friend to fly to Madrid. And to rent a car free for three days to boot. That was pretty darn good.
There are also credit cards that give you reward points toward sports merchandise, free hotel stays, and automobile products and services. Some of the more practical cards in my opinion are the ones that offer rewards for buying groceries at certain stores, or rewards and cash back programs for gas purchases. There are dining rewards programs (good for those of us who love to go out and eat), but the most intriguing are the credit cards that not only offer discounts on home improvement products but allow you to accumulate unlimited points to put towards mortgage payments or the purchase of a new home! That would be especially valuable in today's economy.
There are sites you can go to to compare credit cards, and they are a useful tool.
