Previously, I possessed $8,700 in credit card debt divided over four accounts.
Every article I read indicated following the avalanche method as the most appropriate approach, leading one to pay off the highest interest card initially, and so on.
So I attempted that method for four months. While I may have received some satisfaction that I was following the math, I didn’t feel I was making any real psychological progress. I became annoyed and went back to paying the minimums on each card.
Next, I attempted the snowball method, which entails paying off the card with the smallest balance first, regardless of the interest rate. I was able to pay off one card in only two months. I felt such a psychological shift, as now I actually believed I could do this. Fourteen months after that, I was debt-free on all four cards. The so-called two mathematically inferior methods worked because I actually stuck with them.
Let me explain both methods and give some insight into what happened during both efforts to pay down my debt.
On the surface, the avalanche method’s logic is highly compelling.
The avalanche method consists of paying off the debt that possesses the highest interest rate first, regardless of how low the balance is. Here is how my debt looked:
- Card A: $600 at 18% (minimum $25)
- Card B: $2,400 at 24% (minimum $75)
- Card C: $3,200 at 19% (minimum $95)
- Card D: $2,500 at 16% (minimum $80)
The avalanche method would have me pay off Card B because it was $100 more than Card A.
What Happened When I Tried This
Paid an additional $200 a month on Card B while paying minimums on all the others.
Month 1: Card B went from 2,400 dollars to 2,125 dollars. Awesome!
Month 2: Card B went to 1,850 dollars. Still on the right track!
Month 3: Card B went to 1,575 dollars. This is evading me!
Month 4: Card B went to 1,300 dollars. I can’t believe it’s still not done.
I made extra payments for four months, and I had not gotten a single card to zero. It felt frustrating to open my app and still see 4 cards. I went back to making minimum payments for 2 months. That means the balances barely moved because of interest. Sure, I was saving money on interest, but I wanted to see a card disappear.
The Snowball Method: Feelings Over Math
The snowball method means paying off your smallest balance first, regardless of interest rate. Same debt, but now I attack Card A first because it’s only 600 dollars.
What Happened With Snowball
Paid an additional 200 dollars a month to Card A while paying minimums on all the others.
Month 1: Card A went from 600 dollars to 375 dollars.
Month 2: Card. The balance is $150.
Month 3: Card A is paid off. $0. Gone. Physically removed the card from my wallet.
That feeling when I paid it off completely? That’s what kept me motivated.
I took the $25 minimum payment that I had to make on Card A and my $200 additional payment and put a total of $225 towards Card D, the next one in line (2nd smallest balance at $2,500, even though it wasn’t the highest interest).
Months 4-14: Continue rolling the payments from paid-off smaller debts to bigger debts.
I eventually paid off all four cards. I spent a total of 14 months using the snowball method (not counting the four months I wasted doing the avalanche method and the two months I completely quit).
The Math: How Much Extra Did Snowball Cost Me?
I was curious about this, so I calculated it afterwards. If I had stuck with the avalanche method for all 14 months, I would have paid about $890 in interest. Using the snowball method, I paid about $975 in interest.
Difference: $85
That’s it. The “wrong” method cost me $85 more over a 14-month period, about $6 a month. What would have cost me more than $85 was quitting completely because the avalanche method was so demoralising, and that is exactly what happened the first time.
The Reason Snowball Was Successful When Avalanche Wasn’t
Motivation Through Quick Wins
Paying off that first credit card after two months was proof that I could finish this marathon. It was no longer a hypothetical thing. With Avalanche, after four months, I was still four credit cards short. It was a slow grind with no finish line.
It Feels Good to See Progress.
When I paid off Card A and Card D, it meant that I only had two cards left. Sure, I still owed a bunch, but two felt manageable. It was a huge psychological and emotional win to close two accounts.
Momentum Is Real
Each payoff accelerated the next, because I was rolling the previous minimum payment into the next debt.
- With Card A’s minimum payment of $25, I would add that to my $200 extra payment, and it would be $225 towards Card D.
- With Card D’s $80 minimum, that would be $225, so it would be $305 towards Card C.
- With Card C’s $95 minimum, that would be $400 towards Card B.
By the time I got to the last card, I was throwing $475/month at it. It disappeared in six months.
When Avalanche Might Do Less Work
If you have very different balances at different interest rates, avalanche might be worth it. For example, consider an $8,000 balance at a 24% interest rate versus a $1,000 balance at an 8% interest rate. The 24% card will cost you $160 a month in interest versus only about $7 in interest on the 8% loan.
In this specific example, the difference in lost interest is enough for the avalanche method to be worth the slower psychological wins.
In contrast, if your interest rates are all relatively similar (like mine were –16 to 24 per cent), the interest savings from using the avalanche method are minimal, so the motivational wins from using the snowball method tend to be more valuable.
What the Hybrid Approach Would Have Looked Like for Me
If I could redo it, this is what I would do. Pay off the smallest balance debt first for the win (snowball), and then switch to the highest interest for the remaining debts (avalanche).
In doing so, you would get the motivational boost early and then optimise the math for the heavier lifting. Best of both worlds. Early confidence and long-term savings.
What Actually Matters More Than The Method
The method only works if you’re actually paying more than the minimums.
In my case, I was putting an additional $200 on top of the minimum payments/month towards debt. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but I averaged around $200. That is what made the difference, and not what order the debts were paid off in.
The consistency of my extra payments is what made the real difference. Find that extra money somewhere. Cancel stuff, side hustle, sell things, or cut back temporarily on something. But find it. Without extra payments, both methods fail. You’re just treading water.
Pick One and Start
Honestly, I don’t care which method you choose. Snowball, avalanche, hybrid, whatever. Just pick one and start throwing extra money at debt. Today. Not Monday.
I wasted six months between quitting Avalanche and starting Snowball because I was researching which method was “better”. You know what would’ve been better?
Starting either method six months earlier. The best debt payoff strategy is whichever one you’ll actually stick with. For me, that was snowball. For you, it might be different.
But you won’t know until you try.
Paying off debt becomes far less stressful once you have an emergency fund in place.
Feni. Personal Finance Writer & Budgeting Researcher
Feni focuses on practical budgeting systems, debt reduction strategies, and long-term financial stability. Her work combines real-life experience with research-based financial principles to create sustainable money habits rather than quick-fix solutions.
At ThriftVine, she shares structured, accessible guidance to help individuals build stronger financial foundations and make informed financial decisions.
The information shared on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Visit the About the Author page for more information.