The idea of making money with a credit card is a foreign one to most people. In fact, most people can't even imagine it. However, responsible credit card users can actually earn $500 or more from their credit cards if they do one simple and one not so simple thing.

THE SIMPLE THING: Pay for everything with your credit card, especially gas station, grocery store, and drug store purchases. With the Chase Cash Plus Rewards Visa or the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card you can earn 5% cashback on all of your purchases. If, like many people, you spend $10,000 a year on groceries, gas, and drug store purchases, you could earn $500 cashback simply by using your card for all of these purchases.

THE NOT SO SIMPLE THING: To fully take advantage of the $500 cashback, you must pay your bills in full. Most cards, including the Chase Cash Plus Rewards Visa or the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card allow a grace period of 20 or more days to pay your balance in full. During this grace period, you are not charged interest. Therefore, you pay nothing to use the credit card while simultaneously accumulating cashback rewards.

Now, even if you do not regularly pay your credit card in full, earning cashback on your credit card purchases can offset the money you pay in interest every year. So, even if you don't pay your bill in full each month, you still end up with an extra $500 in your pocket at the end of the year.

Credit card rewards programs can be great. However, the best credit card reward deals are not for airline miles or merchandise. Those rewards programs often carry high annual fees that offset the rewards earned. The best bet when choosing a credit card is to choose one that offers 5% cashback. Use your card wisely and you'll find yourself with a little extra cash at year's end. No other credit cards offer that.

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