Financing large purchases. Credit cards let you buy something now and pay for it over time. We'll discuss the dangers of this later, but don't overlook the advantages of using credit. Say you're facing a big car repair, or your washer breaks down and you need a replacement but you don't have the money to pay for it all at once. Putting the bill on a credit card allows you to make those urgent purchases now and pay for them over time (albeit with interest)