Debt payoff guides
Short, honest reads for getting out of debt. When you're ready, the calculator turns your own numbers into a plan.
- How the debt snowball method works, step by step
The six steps, with a worked example showing how each paid-off debt makes the next payment bigger.
- Free printable debt snowball worksheet
A two-page PDF for planning the snowball on paper and tracking your progress every month.
- Free debt snowball spreadsheet for Google Sheets
Copy the template, type in your debts, and it works out your payoff order, debt-free date and schedule.
- Where to find extra money for your debt snowball
Practical places to find a little more each month, and how much sooner it gets you out of debt.
- Should you consolidate before you snowball?
Check whether a consolidation loan beats your plan, fees included, and the risks to weigh first.
- Balance transfer cards and the debt snowball
How a 0% transfer fits into the snowball, what the fee costs, and what happens if the promo ends first.
- Does your car loan belong in the debt snowball?
Why the car loan usually goes last, what to check before paying it early, and a worked example.
- Student loans and the debt snowball
Federal and private loans in one plan, when extra payments may not help, and a worked example.
- Medical debt and the debt snowball
What to check before you pay a medical bill, why to keep it at 0%, and a worked example.
- Debt snowball vs. debt avalanche
The honest comparison: which method clears your first debt sooner, which pays less interest, and how to choose.
- How the calculator does the math
Every rule the payoff simulation uses, from monthly interest to tie-breaks, so no number is a mystery.