attn: finance nerdz

[boz-monaut]

so just say i use this for every purchase i make from hereonin. if i keep on top of what i spent, when, and paid the card off in full by the due date, will the credit card cost me absolutely nothing?

correct - pay it off by the end of each month and you won't pay interest (you may pay a surcharge on purchases though, particularly on AMEX)

if i stay on top of it organisation-wise, will it be just like paying for it with my bank account but i get the added advantages of gaining a good credit history, getting points, etc?

yes, this is the way it works out - I use my AMEX/VISA account as you would with a regular bank account with eftpos and pay it off prior to the end of each month - I now have enough points for a return flight to Europe

when/where does the idea of getting a credit card turn bad? is it just if i don't pay by the right time, and interest/debt fxxxs me over?

any debt is bad when you can't pay it - if you can pay your card off each month then you're sweet - if you can't even pay off the minimum payment, then you're ****ed

set a very low credit limit (less than 1/3 your month's salary) and you'll be fine