I've been battling with my own mind on whether I should get rid of my credit cards and just go with debit cards.

I see two sides of the coin, but I need you to help me determine which one Michelle and I should use from now on. Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter of credit cards verses debit cards.

Credit Cards:

They are handy as a cushion for my inconsistent income. Being a self-employed contractor, I am always buying construction materials for different jobs. My business credit card provides the ability to buy the materials upfront. Even though my policy is to get 25% to 50% before I begin working on larger projects, I still need to have the cushion in my expenses in order to freely pay for things when they are needed.

Convenient and accepted almost everywhere.

Provides insurance for different things like travel, rental cars, and add warranties onto big ticket items after the manufacturer's warranty has expired. (Yes, this is all true for most credit cards if you didn't know that).

Provides rewards. The only thing I hate about reward programs is that it psychologically makes people feel ok with spending money. I will admit that I have fallen victim of this stupidity a few times before. "I don't need this... but then again, I'll get 2% back!" >SWIPE<.... -Stupid. But when it comes to everyday purchases like gasoline or groceries which we are going to buy anyways, it would be stupid NOT to use the card that gives 3% back every time.

Debit Cards:

All banks are being required to not automatically allow overdraft protection. This will stop someone of the "nickel and diming" that banks tend to do to their customers. The other reason I like this is that it will provide a hard set limit to your spending. In other words, I could keep one main checking account and then open three more to use for various parts of my budget (like entertainment, food, and travel). Then, by using the appropriate debit card per purchase I will know when I have hit my limit because it will be declined. Or, I can text my bank to get my balance before I purchase something to see if I have room in my budget. In other words, it will probably prevent any accidental overspending.

Still able to track expenses with Mint.com.

Still convenient and usually accepted everywhere credit cards are.

May have rewards, usually not as high as credit cards, but 1% is still something.

OK, so those are my thoughts on credit cards vs. debit cards. Please feel free to add your two cents to my de-boggle. I would love to hear your opinion or experience with this issue. Please submit a comment below. Thanks!