Debt Snowball & Avalanche Planner

Debt Snowball & Avalanche Planner simulates two competing payoff strategies across every debt you have and shows which actually gets you out of debt faster and cheaper. Add each debt with its balance, interest rate and minimum payment, then set whatever extra you can pay monthly. The simulation runs month by month: interest accrues, minimums are paid on every open account, and all remaining money is thrown at one target — the smallest balance under snowball, the highest rate under avalanche. Crucially, when a debt clears its minimum payment rolls into the attack on the next one, which is what makes both strategies accelerate over time. The result shows payoff order, months to debt-free and total interest for each strategy, so the mathematical winner and the psychological winner are both visible.

Key Features

• Both Strategies Simulated

  Snowball and avalanche run side by side on the same debts and budget. Avalanche usually costs less interest; snowball often clears the first debt sooner.

• Rolling Payment Model

  A cleared debt’s minimum payment is added to the next target rather than disappearing. That rollover is the entire mechanism behind both methods.

• Unlimited Debt Rows

  Add, name and remove as many debts as you have. Names carry through to the payoff order so results are readable.

• Payoff Order Timeline

  Lists which debt clears in which month for each strategy. Seeing the first win land in month three is what keeps people going.

• Interest Difference Callout

  States exactly how much extra interest snowball costs versus avalanche, so the trade-off is a number rather than a feeling.

• Budget Shortfall Warning

  Flags when minimums plus extra cannot outrun interest accrual, so an impossible plan is never presented as a valid one.

1. 1

   List every debt

   Enter name, balance, annual rate and minimum payment for each one. Accuracy on rates matters most for the avalanche result.

2. 2

   Set your extra payment

   Add whatever you can commit beyond the minimums each month. Even a small amount changes the timeline noticeably.

3. 3

   Compare the two strategies

   Check months to debt-free and total interest for snowball and avalanche in the side-by-side panels.

4. 4

   Review the payoff order

   See which debt clears first under each strategy and in which month.

5. 5

   Pick the one you will stick to

   Avalanche saves more interest, snowball delivers faster early wins. The best plan is the one you actually follow.

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