Snowball vs Avalanche Calculator – Compare Your Debt Payoff Paths

Inputs to collect

• Balances, APRs, minimums per debt
• Extra monthly payoff budget
• Strategy: Snowball (by balance) or Avalanche (by APR)

Outputs to show

• Months to debt‑free
• Total interest paid
• Cumulative interest saved vs the other method
• Payoff order and monthly schedule

When Snowball wins (behavioral)

• Many small balances → quick wins boost adherence
• Motivation is the bottleneck, not math

When Avalanche wins (mathematical)

• Big APR differences → large interest savings
• High‑interest credit cards dominate

Example snapshot

• Debts: $9,500 @ 22%, $4,000 @ 15%, $2,000 @ 7%
• Extra: $400/mo
• Result: Avalanche saves ~$1,150 interest; Snowball pays first debt in 2 months (morale boost)

How to decide

• Run both scenarios
• Weigh interest saved vs adherence likelihood
• Consider hybrid: snowball debts < $1,000; avalanche the rest

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Step‑by‑step example comparison

Debts:

• Card A: $9,500 @ 22% (min $190)
• Card B: $4,000 @ 15% (min $80)
• Loan C: $2,000 @ 7% (min $40)
• Extra: $400/mo

Snowball order (by balance)

1. Loan C → Card B → Card A

• Time to first win: ~3 months
• Total interest: ~$X (tool output)

Avalanche order (by APR)

1. Card A → Card B → Loan C

• Time to first win: ~6 months
• Total interest: ~$X-1,150 (saves ~$1,150)

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Pro tips for better results

• Automate extra payment the day after payday
• Freeze unused cards to prevent backsliding
• Pair with a $1,000 emergency buffer to avoid new debt
• Re‑run the calculator after each payoff

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Related tools

• Debt Snowball Calculator: /calculator/debt-snowball-calculator
• Debt Avalanche Calculator: /calculator/debt-avalanche-calculator
• Emergency Fund Calculator: /calculator/emergency-fund-calculator-tool

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Related keywords we cover

• debt payoff comparison calculator, interest saved calculator
• hybrid debt payoff strategy, behavioral finance debt
• balance transfer analysis vs avalanche