Credit cards can be a handy way to spend money when you really need it, and building or maintaining good credit is a doddle given the right credit card and the correct attitudes to spending and debt. But did you know that a credit card can help you save money?

The first way in which this can happen is a fairly obvious one most people know about; air miles and similar perks can allow you to accumulate travel vouchers as you spend money and repay the balance regularly. You’re able to save hundreds, or even thousands of pounds on travel tickets, which is an excellent saving to begin with. But there are other ways, too, and if you add them all together, saving money with your credit card can work out pretty well.

Cash-back schemes are an excellent way to save money using your credit card. In fact, with the right cash-back scheme and healthy spending habits that involve your spending money and repaying it before it accrues interest, you can earn money by using your credit card.

A Sainsbury’s credit card allows you to earn Nectar points as you shop. This may seem like very little, but when you effectively earn a penny per pound you spend, it can add up quickly. Spending money on the things you would be buying anyway and paying with the Nectar card you’ve been saving up on is an excellent way to save. With a Nectar card valid in a limited number of places, earning Nectar points as you shop for different things and at different establishments allows you to pad the amount you save up very quickly and efficiently. Many other credit cards have similar deals where you can save up points that translate to savings. When choosing such a card, make sure it’s going to offer savings on something you would be buying anyway. Otherwise, it becomes only another excuse to spend.

Having good credit, for which a credit card is perfect, will be able to save you money in terms of future credit. You will be able to get lower-interest and thus lower-cost loans and mortgages due to your excellent credit. So if you use your card to build credit, you can really save in terms of future borrowing.

Credit cards are good for spending, but with sensible attitudes to finances you can use them to save money and enrich your life with minimum effort and maximum results.