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In general I've got to agree with Bamrak: save your money, keep a job, have a good rent history if possible.
I once was buying a house; it was inexpensive and I had the down, but the mortgage company called me in and said, "We have a problem with your credit history." I asked what problem? They said, "You don't _have_ a credit history!" I was totally off the radar at the credit bureau, since I never did credit, and the investors who wanted to fund the loan were nervous. But I had the money and a good employement record, so all I had to do was sign a form saying that I wasn't in the credit database because I didn't believe in credit. I guess they wanted me to go on record saying, "I'm no a crook." No problem.
That said, I do think credit is a good thing for emergencies when you don't have time or opportunity to stare down a loan officer, and I think it's good to have a card -- as long as you don't normally use it. My advice: get a card to buy things over the Internet with (at low prices, save money), pay it off in full every month, and don't use it for anything else. You'll build credit for emergencies.
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