In between my billing cycle date and balance statement update, Is it smarter to use my credit card or cash?

My billing date for my credit card is always on the 12th of each month, and in between is the period of processing until the 18th in which my statement balance is updated for the next billing cycle.

Would it be smarter to withdraw cash for general payments until the 18th? Or should I still use my credit card during that period of days?

The reason I usually opt for the former is so that my credit card purchases don't add up to my statement balance being higher than what it initially would've been by the 12th, since purchases during that 5-day processing period would still add in.