Why it matters
Scattered extra payments feel virtuous and accomplish little. Concentration is the entire trick — and choosing your concentration rule in advance removes the monthly decision fatigue that kills payoff plans.
The steps
List every debt with balance, APR and minimum
The Debt Payoff calculator holds up to six and orders them both ways instantly.
Choose your rule
Quit-prone or morale-starved: snowball. Spreadsheet-brained and patient: avalanche. Mixed: snowball until two debts are gone, then switch — momentum first, math second.
Fix your total monthly amount
Minimums plus a chosen extra ($25? $100?). The total stays constant even as debts die — that rollover is where the acceleration comes from.
Roll every finished payment forward
When the $35-minimum store card dies, its $35 joins the extra aimed at the next target. The payment 'snowball' is the mechanism in both methods.
Automate and stop renegotiating
Autopay minimums everywhere, automatic extra to the target. Decide once a year, not once a month.
Three debts, $150/month extra either way
Common mistakes
- Splitting the extra across all debts 'to be fair.' Fairness is for people; debts get concentration.
- Skipping minimums to feed the target — late fees and credit damage cost more than the interest saved.
- Closing your oldest card at payoff without a reason. The zero balance is the win; the history can keep helping your credit.
- Ignoring the rate while snowballing a 0% medical bill ahead of a 27% card. Method rules bend for extreme rates.
What to do next
Enter your debts in the Debt Payoff calculator to see both orders, the total interest of each, and what an extra $25, $50, $100 or $250 a month changes. Then set up the autopays.