10 Simple Moves To Pay Off Debt Fast with the Debt Avalanche Method
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1. Understand How The Debt Avalanche Method Works
You’ve probably heard about paying off debt with “snowball” or “avalanche” methods.
The avalanche isn’t about looking cool on a snowboard. It’s about destroying the interest charges that keep sucking your money dry.
You line up your debts, you find the one with the highest interest, and you attack it first while keeping the others alive with minimum payments.
It saves you the most money in interest over time, even if it doesn’t give you the “quick win” feeling right away.
Debt Avalanche Hits Interest Hard
Think of it like knocking down the loudest troublemaker in a crowd.
When you crush that high-interest credit card first, the rest of your debts start falling faster.
Your money finally works for you instead of against you.
That’s the magic of the avalanche method. Less wasted cash, faster progress.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: List your debts in a spreadsheet, sort them by interest rate, and highlight the top one to target first.
2. List All Your Debts With Interest Rates Clearly
You can’t fight what you don’t face.
Grab a notebook, or better yet, open Google Sheets.
Write down every single debt you owe. Credit cards, loans, student loans, that sneaky store card you forgot about.
Add the balances, due dates, and especially the interest rates.
Writing Debt Makes It Real
It feels scary to see it all on paper, but it’s also empowering.
You go from feeling lost in the dark to flipping the lights on in your financial house.
Suddenly, you see where the money drain actually happens.
And you realize some debts are nastier than others.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Log in to each account, copy the balance and interest rate, and create a simple debt list in Google Sheets or Undebt.it.
3. Focus On The Highest-Interest Debt First
Here’s where the avalanche flexes.
Your biggest enemy isn’t the debt with the biggest balance. It’s the one that charges you the most to borrow money.
That’s usually your credit card debt, charging 20%+ like a greedy loan shark.
So you throw everything extra at that one while paying the minimum on the rest.
High Interest Burns Fast
The crazy part?
When you knock out that expensive debt first, you free up money faster than if you started small.
Every dollar not wasted on interest is a dollar that works for you.
You’ll see balances start to drop way quicker once the biggest rate is gone.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Check your debt list, star the one with the highest rate, and direct all extra payments straight at that debt until it’s gone.
Bonus: Use A Tool To Stay On Track
Once you know which debt to crush first, the hard part is staying organized.
You don’t want to juggle sticky notes, random apps, and your memory. It’s way too easy to slip.
That’s where using a simple debt payoff tool makes a huge difference.
One tool that’s helped thousands of people track progress with the avalanche method is Undebt.it. It keeps everything in one place so you see exactly how much faster you’re moving.
A Clear Plan Keeps You Motivated
When you actually see your balances dropping on a chart, you stay fired up.
That visual progress is the emotional fuel that keeps you from giving up when it feels slow.
And seeing how many people already use it successfully gives you that extra “yep, this works” confidence.
Sometimes, motivation is just knowing you’re not in the fight alone.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Sign up free on Undebt.it, plug in your debts and interest rates, and let it automatically build your avalanche plan with payoff dates you can track every month.
4. Create A Budget That Supports The Debt Avalanche Method
No plan, no progress.
A budget is basically your financial GPS. It shows you where your money goes and how much you can push toward your avalanche.
Without it, you’ll keep saying, “Where did my paycheck go?” while Netflix auto-renews again.
So you decide what bills matter, what’s a waste, and how much gets funneled into killing debt.
Budgeting Gives You Control
Think of it like giving every dollar a job.
Rent, food, gas. They’re on the payroll.
But “random Amazon cart splurge”? That dollar just got fired.
You stop wasting money on stuff you don’t need and start using it to smash debt faster.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Use a free budget app like Rocket Money, set a fixed amount for debt payments, and lock it in as non-negotiable each month.
5. Cut Unnecessary Expenses To Free Up Cash
Let’s be real. Half the stuff you pay for doesn’t make your life better.
That second streaming service? Useless.
The fancy iced latte every morning? Overrated.
Cutting waste is like finding hidden treasure in your budget. It’s money you already have, just waiting to be used.
Small Cuts Add Up Big
Canceling unused subscriptions might save $50 a month.
Cooking at home instead of eating out? That’s another $100+.
Switching to a cheaper phone plan? Boom, more cash.
And every single dollar now snowballs toward debt freedom.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Review your last two months of bank statements, cancel one subscription, and redirect that money into your avalanche payment today.
6. Always Pay The Minimum On Every Other Debt
Here’s the trap you don’t want to fall into. Ignoring your other debts.
If you skip minimum payments, you’ll get hit with late fees and tank your credit score.
So you keep every account alive with the bare minimum while attacking the monster debt.
That way, you stay out of trouble while focusing your firepower.
Minimums Keep The Avalanche Safe
Think of it like holding the line in battle.
You protect your credit score and keep creditors off your back.
Meanwhile, you use all your energy to punch out the highest-interest debt.
It’s defense and offense at the same time.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Set up autopay for minimums on all debts through your bank, then manually pay extra on your top target each month.
7. Put Every Extra Dollar Toward Your Target Debt
Every little bit matters.
That random $20 you found in your jeans? Straight to debt.
The cash from selling that old video game console? Straight to debt.
When you throw every extra dollar at the avalanche, you knock months or even years off your payoff timeline.
Small Wins Make Big Progress
Most people waste spare cash without even noticing.
But when you make debt your “extra money magnet,” you speed things up like crazy.
That extra $50 here and $100 there really adds up over time.
And soon, you’ll watch your balances melt away.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Anytime you get extra cash, like selling old stuff on Facebook Marketplace. Send it directly as an extra payment toward your top debt.
8. Use Side Hustle Income To Speed Things Up
Your paycheck can only stretch so far.
That’s why side hustles exist. To give you extra fuel for your avalanche.
It doesn’t have to be glamorous. Food delivery, freelancing, tutoring, selling digital products, you name it.
It’s all about building a new stream of cash that you dedicate 100% to debt.
Side Hustles Change The Game
Imagine making an extra $300 a month just driving Uber Eats on weekends.
That’s not pocket change. That’s rocket fuel for your avalanche.
Instead of waiting years, you cut your timeline down dramatically.
And honestly, once you’re debt-free, you might just keep the hustle for extra investing money.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Pick a side hustle from platforms like Upwork, DoorDash, or Rover, and commit that income only to debt payoff.
9. Throw Windfalls Straight At Your Top Debt
Tax refund? Bonus at work? Birthday money from grandma?
Don’t let that cash vanish into a shopping spree.
Windfalls are golden chances to make a huge dent in your avalanche.
Drop them straight on your highest-interest debt and watch the balance plummet.
Windfalls Hit Harder Than You Think
Most people blow “extra money” like it’s free.
But if you treat it like a secret weapon, you can erase months of payments in one move.
The shock value of seeing a huge balance shrink overnight keeps you fired up.
That’s how you turn a one-time gift into a lifetime payoff.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: When you get any lump sum like a tax refund, log in immediately to your debt account and pay it on your highest-interest balance.
10. Keep Momentum Until Every Debt Is Gone
This is the hardest part. Sticking with it.
You’ll get tired. You’ll want to splurge. You’ll question if it’s even worth it.
But here’s the truth: debt-free living feels better than any short-term purchase ever could.
The freedom you gain is priceless.
Consistency Is The Secret Sauce
Your avalanche will feel slow at first, but it speeds up as interest stops piling.
Every paid-off debt gives you more cash to attack the next one.
It’s like leveling up in a video game. You just get stronger and faster.
And before you know it, you’re standing on top of your own avalanche, debt-free and in control.
👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Keep tracking your progress with tools like Undebt.it, celebrate each milestone, and remind yourself that financial freedom is the real prize.
Hi! I’m the founder of Money Vice and a passionate personal finance enthusiast. I started this site to help people across America save more with the least difficulty, get rid of debt, and to start putting their money to work (in the easiest way possible).
