Debt Snowball Calculator

What is the Debt Snowball Method?

The Debt Snowball method is a highly effective debt reduction strategy popularized by finance experts like Dave Ramsey. Instead of focusing on interest rates, this method focuses on human psychology and momentum.

You list all your debts from smallest balance to largest balance. You pay the absolute minimum on everything, but throw every extra dollar you have at the smallest debt until it is completely gone. Once that debt is cleared, you take the money you were paying on it and roll it into the minimum payment of the next smallest debt. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, your payments get larger and larger as each debt is wiped out.

How to Use the Debt Snowball Calculator

1. List Your Debts: Enter every credit card, car loan, student loan, or personal debt you have. Provide a recognizable name, the current total balance, the interest rate, and your required minimum monthly payment.
2. Add Extra Cash: In the "Extra Payment Power" box, enter exactly how much extra money you can reliably put toward your debts every month from your budget (e.g., $200 from a side hustle or cutting extra expenses).
3. View Your Payoff Date: The calculator instantly simulates paying off the accounts month-by-month and gives you your exact "Debt Free Date".

How It Works: The Logic

This calculator automates the complex amortization math required to simulate a debt snowball. Every "month" in the background simulation, the tool calculates the interest accrued on each account. It then applies the minimum payments to all accounts.

Crucially, it takes your Extra Cash plus any Freed-up Minimum Payments from fully paid-off debts, and laser-focuses that entire cash pile onto whichever debt currently has the lowest balance. This loop runs recursively until the total remaining debt hits $0, allowing it to spit out the total months required and the total interest explicitly paid across the journey.

Real-Life Use Cases

• Finding Motivation: A family with 6 different credit cards feels overwhelmed. They use the calculator and realize that if they just add $150 extra a month, they'll clear two cards in exactly 4 months, giving them the emotional win needed to keep going.
• Comparing Strategies: Borrowers often use this tool to compare the "Snowball" vs the "Avalanche" method (paying highest interest rate first) to see exactly how many months difference the two strategies actually are.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)