Putting money aside "just in case" or relying on credit cards?

"Ever had a water heater die on you right after vacation? Trust me, credit cards feel way less comforting when you're staring at interest charges piling up..."

Yeah, been there—except for me it was the AC unit in mid-July. Ever try sleeping through a heatwave with just a fan? Not fun. Credit cards might seem handy at first, but watching those interest charges creep up month after month made me rethink things pretty fast. Building that emergency fund is tedious, sure, but beats paying extra to banks any day.