<prompt> Human: I have been working on saving up and building an emergency fund. I have one credit card left that has a zero balance. I have this engrained fear of needing one in case of emergency and other things that pop up.Does anyone have any situations where I would need one over a debit card? Can I just get rid of this thing?Thanks!  <response>: I was without a credit card for waaay too many years, and I can tell you that it absolutely sucks.If you rent a hotel room or a car, they put a sizeable hold on your debit card that is not refunded for up to a week later. So you will have to have that money available in addition to the actual cost of the rental and any expenses youll have in the meantime. Some wont let you rent with a debit card at all, and if they do, they usually require additional documentation, like a utility bill with no past due balance to prove both your address and your ability to pay bills on time.If your debit card is compromised number stolen and used fraudulently, they just got away with your real money. Your credit card company will usually reverse the charges pretty quickly. Your bank... Well, mine took a notarized affidavit, a police report, a dozen phone calls, and almost a month to return my money to my account. If I hadnt had an old checking account at another bank, I would have had no card with which to pay my online bills in the interim.Credit cards are a big part of having not just a good credit score, but a credit history that affects car insurance rates, leasing an apartment, whether or not you have to pay a deposit for utilities, getting a car loan or mortgage, or just getting approved for store credit at the auto shop when you suddenly find yourself needing 4 new tires at once. The fewer active items credit cards, loans, etc on your credit report, the lower your chances are with any of these. Case in point: I had a 758 credit score and no credit cards or loans of my own at the time; I couldnt get approved for a 15K car loan without a cosigner. Closing your other credit cards was probably a mistake as far as your credit score credit worthiness goes. And closing this last one will take away from your credit age and mix of accounts. While you certainly dont have to use any credit card you have, you should keep the account open, charge something small like your Netflix to it each month, and have it set to autopay the balance. Its no different on your budget than using cash or a debit card, but it ensures that the card stays active and continues reporting positively on your credit report. 