Whether its hype, or banks ubiquitous marketing methods or actual need, it now seems unavoidable to live without a credit card. And now they are relatively easy to get. If you have a pay-slip, you can always get one.
There are even others designed for the subprime markets, for people with NINJA status (No income, no job no assets).
Its hard to get a hotel booking (in some hotels, at least) if you are card-less.
The many internet firms selling merchandise online will require you to pay using a credit card.
The reality is that the cards are not for everyone, and those with less than rosy credit card history will find that it is actually hard to acquire one, and with the interest charged on some of them almost equivalent to the price of an arm and a leg, many exasperated credit card customers are opting out.
The trick that many who are annoyed by their credit cards dont seem to appreciate is to stay below the limits of your credit. Unless someone is confronted with an emergency and has to incur some expense, there is no reason for one to flush out the card at the slightest excuse.
The best thing is to use them as they are real cash....