• looked at the high interest debt again tonight same crushing number
  • paid what i could on the high interest debt and interest still won
  • nobody knows how much this high interest debt keeps me up
  • i just want to see when this high interest debt will finally end

HowtoPayOffHighInterestDebtOnly

Compare the methods on your real numbers — without connecting your bank.

High-interest debt is debt where the interest cost dominates the payment. At 28% APR, $15,000 generates $350 a month in interest before any payment is applied. The minimum payment of $375 leaves $25 going to principal in month one. The interest meter spins faster than your $25 of monthly principal reduction can keep up with. The math is engineered against you.

With one debt the method choice disappears. Snowball and Avalanche become the same instruction: pay the minimum every month and send every spare dollar to this balance. The only variable is how much extra you can send. The calculator below shows you exactly when this balance hits zero — and what each extra $50 per month does to that date.

On $15,000 at 28% with a $375/month minimum, paying minimums finishes the debt in 87 months and costs $17,800 in interest — meaning the original $15,000 more than doubles. Adding $200/month extra ($575 total) cuts that to 35 months and $5,800 interest. Adding $500/month extra ($875 total) cuts to 21 months and $3,200 interest. Aggression compounds dramatically in your favor at this APR.

Pre-loaded with $15,000 at 28%. Your numbers stay on your device — no bank login. The math runs locally — see the methodology. Adjust the rate and balance to match your actual statement.

Your numbers

One debt. The plan is simple: minimum payment plus everything extra you can send.

Update with your actual numbers after you unlock the full calculator.

Nickname
Balance
Rate
Min payment
Credit Card$15,00028%$375

One debt — both methods are identical. Send every extra dollar to this balance.

Estimated freedom date

Your exact date is waiting. Enter your real numbers to see it.

One-time. No subscription. No bank login. Your numbers stay on your device.

Method-specific questions

Common questions

  • Yes, when "high interest" means rates above 18%. The math advantage of Avalanche over Snowball widens as APRs rise. On a 28% credit card, Avalanche saves 2-4x what it saves on a 12% personal loan over the same payoff period. The behavioral case for Snowball weakens at high rates because the interest cost of the wrong order is too high to ignore.

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