How to view/use credit...

I never really used credit cards until after our daughter was born 3 years ago. I found myself working less and having to buy a lot more. My husband took a promotion and started driving 60 miles roundtrip to work every day, instead of 5 miles round trip. So our expenses were going up and our income was going down. And when I went to the grocery store with our new baby girl, a credit card seemed like a reasonable choice.
But 3 years and thousands of dollars of debt later, I realized that my approach to credit cards had been all wrong. Because those necessary groceries had turned into lunches and dinners and so many cups of Starbucks coffee that I could never possibly count. And despite the fact that I had amazing credit, my creditors were upping my rates without me knowing. And constantly changing my due dates. And making it nearly impossible to sign online and make a payment. And scheduled monthly payments? Forget about it! That might actually ensure that you pay your bill on time every month! :-P I was maxed out and taxed out and I was ready to get them paid off!
I went to a debt seminar about 6 months ago and learned a lot. But the error of my ways really didn't occur to me until about 2-3 weeks ago, when I was talking with my husband. I made a comment about not wanting to get him his own CC because he would use it for fast food or energy drinks or cigarettes. He laughed out loud, exclaiming that he would NEVER use credit cards for those little things and that that's not what they're for. He said the reason he's never carried a CC is because he figures most things you should pay cash for. and if you can't pay cash, you don't need them. It was like a light bulb went off over my head. Because 3 years later, I was still paying off on cups of coffee and clothes my daughter had long out grown. It made no sense whatsoever and I had been using my credit cards so often that it was impossible to keep track of the amounts on there.
We made the decision earlier this year to consolidate all of our loans through our credit union. The CU paid off the loans and we said good-bye to ridiculous interest rates. Now we're set up with a loan that costs us just $200 a month and only has a 9.5% interest rate (compared to anywhere from 19% to 27% :O ). It's a much better approach to our credit card problem, and I don't have to worry about making 4-6 payments a month or getting tacked with a $40 fee if I'm 5 minutes late because I got caught up in life.
So yes, I gave the CC industry a LOT of money. But I feel like I have a lot better perspective on credit cards now. Plus, we're saving a lot of money on interest and will have our debt paid off soon. It's a huge relief.