5 Habits That Help You Pay Off Debt Quicker

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1. Track Every Dollar Like It’s Your Last

Have you ever wondered where your money disappears every month?

Like, one minute you’ve got $500 left, and the next. Poof. It’s gone.

That’s the power of not paying attention.

Tracking your money sounds boring, but it’s basically turning the lights on in a dark room. You finally see what’s been tripping you up.

You start realizing those “small” daily charges add up faster than Miami traffic tickets.

You can’t fix what you can’t see, right?

Once you know where your money goes, you’ll feel more control than ever. Almost like giving yourself a raise without actually getting one.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Use a free app like Rocket Money to track every expense in real time and check it daily before bed.

📌 SAVE IT FOR LATER! 📌


2. Always Pay a Little Extra on Your Debt

Minimum payments look friendly. But they’re sneaky.

They’re like that one friend who promises to help you move, then shows up with one hand and a smoothie.

Paying just the minimum keeps you in debt longer than necessary and costs way more in interest.

Even paying an extra $20 or $50 a month can shave years off your debt timeline.

You’ll start to see progress faster, and that’s the kind of motivation that keeps you going when Netflix is calling.

Imagine your future self sending you a thank-you text.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Set up a recurring transfer that adds a small “bonus” payment every month.

3. Set Up Automatic Payments on Everything

Let’s be real. You’ve probably forgotten to pay a bill at least once.

Life gets busy, and no one wants to pay late fees for breakfast.

Automation fixes that.

Setting up automatic payments keeps you consistent, builds your credit score, and saves you from “oops” moments that cost money.

It’s like putting your debt payoff on autopilot while you chill on the beach.

And yes, it feels good knowing the money is handled without you lifting a finger.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Turn on automatic payments through your bank or each creditor’s site.

Bonus Tip: Use This Tool to Stay Organized

After setting up those automatic payments, you might start wondering how to actually see your progress without juggling five apps and three spreadsheets.

That’s where a good debt tracker comes in clutch.

When you can visually see each balance shrinking, it stops feeling like an endless grind and starts feeling like a game you’re winning.

That’s why many people use tools like Undebt.it, which turns your debt payoff plan into a clear, visual roadmap.

You plug in your balances, and it shows you exactly how long it’ll take to be debt-free. With every milestone marked along the way.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Create a free account at Undebt.it, add your current balances, and choose a plan like the “Debt Snowball” or “Avalanche” to automatically generate your personalized payoff strategy and progress tracker.

4. Cut Unnecessary Spending Fast

Here’s the truth. You don’t need half the stuff you buy.

You just think you do when you’re tired, stressed, or scrolling TikTok at 2 a.m.

That’s when “Add to Cart” feels like self-care but ends up being self-sabotage.

Every unnecessary purchase slows your debt progress, even if it’s just $10 here or there.

So, start catching those habits early. Because small leaks sink big ships.

And trust me, seeing your balance drop faster than your Starbucks points feels amazing.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Review your subscriptions and recent charges using Rocket Money and cancel anything you haven’t used in 30 days.

5. Stay Away From New Loans or Credit Cards

If you’re trying to dig out of debt, stop grabbing a new shovel.

New credit cards might look shiny, but they’re traps wrapped in rewards points.

You don’t need “0% APR” temptations when you’re already trying to escape the last round of them.

It’s like trying to quit sugar while eating cake for breakfast. Good luck.

Focus on clearing what you owe, not adding more weight to the pile.

Debt freedom feels way better than any “instant approval” high, guaranteed.

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Freeze your credit through Experian or simply delete your card info from autofill so new purchases require real effort to make.

📌 SAVE IT FOR LATER! 📌


And that’s it!

Never forget it… 

🍔 A Bigger Bank Account Is Waiting For You!

😉 Dale!

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Claudio Garcia

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).