Two Roads Out.
One Is Cheaper.

The avalanche method pays the minimum on every debt and directs every spare unit at the debt with the highest interest rate, regardless of its balance. When that debt clears, its payment rolls onto the next-highest rate. It is mathematically optimal: for a given monthly budget it always produces the lowest total interest, and it never finishes later than the snowball.

The snowball method pays the minimum on every debt and directs every spare unit at the smallest balance, regardless of interest rate. When that debt clears, its payment rolls onto the next-smallest. It costs more in interest than the avalanche, but it removes whole debts from the list sooner, which is the only thing that makes month three feel different from month one.

Avalanche is always cheaper on paper. Whether it is better depends on whether you finish. Run both above: if the avalanche saves a large amount, take the cheaper road. If the two are within a small margin — which is common when balances are similar — take the one whose first win arrives soonest, because a method you abandon in month four costs more than either.

The common sequence is a small starter emergency fund first, then aggressive debt payoff, then a full fund. The reasoning is mechanical rather than moral: with no buffer at all, the next unexpected expense goes back onto the card you are paying down, which undoes the progress and the motivation together. Once a small buffer exists, every spare unit is worth more against a high interest rate than in a low-yield account.

Substantially, and non-linearly. Interest accrues on the balance, so every extra unit paid early reduces every future interest charge on that balance. Move the extra-payment dial above and watch both the months and the interest fall — the effect of an extra amount is far larger than the amount itself, and it is largest on the highest-rate debt.

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