Cash has one very clear advantage over using a credit card. If you buy something on your credit card and end up carrying a balance, or only make the minimum payment each month, you will incur interest at a rate of 15% or more of your purchase. If you save up enough cash for the same purchase, you are giving yourself the equivalent of a 15% discount by not using your card. Before you even sign up for a card, make sure you know what you are getting into is strictly limited to money you have already earned and is sitting there for you to use. Using your Visa to take a cash advance and then carrying the cash with you will not solve the essential problem of using high-interest debt to cover your expenses.