Things to Do with Your Credit Card When It's Dead

So you’ve had it with credit cards. Good riddance! You never want to swipe another one across that little machine again. But now you have all these useless plastic cards sitting around your wallet with nothing to do.

You can cut them, toss them, run them over with your car. But why not try to make something good out of something that has caused so much grief? Great minds are always thinking about things to do with all sorts of things, and discarded credit cards are no exception. Here are just a couple of productive ways you can use an old credit card.

• Deer tick bite – Health Web sites recommend using the edge of a credit card (among other possibilities) to scrape a deer tick off of your skin, should one ever embed there. Deer ticks are nasty little critters, as they can cause Lyme Disease. This is one way that credit cards can save you a headache rather than give you one.
• Guitar pick – If you want to sing the blues to drive the debt away, then your credit card can be chopped down into a usable guitar pick. A patent actually exists for a process to turn credit cards (or ID cards) into picks. 
• Ice Scraper – If you’re stuck in a sudden ice storm and staring at a frozen-over windshield, don’t be afraid. A credit card can make a terrific emergency ice scraper.  Yes, there is even a patent for a handle for this purpose, as well. Just attach the card to the handle and your windshield will soon be clear. 
• A razor handle – A patent application exists for a small connection device between a razor blade and a credit card. The credit card becomes the handle for the razor. The invention primarily is meant to be used on trips when packing space is at a minimum.

If you do not see a good idea here, there is always the possibility that the next great credit card option will come from your mind. So head for the garage with a hammer and let us know what you come up with.  There’s a patent waiting for you.