Debt snowball calculator
The answer
Paying the smallest balance first (snowball), 3 debts totalling $17,500.00 are paid off in 3 yr 1 mo — around Nov 2029 — with $4,533.26 in interest.
Of the first $605.00, $208.55 is interest and $396.45 comes off what you owe.
On these numbers avalanche costs $459.12 less in interest, and finishes 1 month sooner.
- Total interest
- $4,533.26
- Total paid
- $22,033.26
An estimate from the inputs shown, not a promise of a particular date. How we calculate this.
The snowball method pays every minimum, then puts everything left over onto the debt with the smallest balance — so a debt disappears sooner and its freed-up minimum joins the attack on whatever follows.
Switch to avalanche to see the same debts attacked by rate, and what the difference costs.
Assumptions
- Interest accrues once a month, before that month's payment.
- The APR stays at the rates entered for the whole term.
- No new spending, fees, penalty rate or promotional rate.
- You pay every minimum, plus the extra in full, on time, every month.
Method comparison
| Method | Term | Debt-free | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 3 yr | Oct 2029 | $4,074.14 |
| Snowball | 3 yr 1 mo | Nov 2029 | $4,533.26 |
On these numbers avalanche costs $459.12 less in interest, and finishes 1 month sooner.
Month by month
What is left at the end of each month, after that month's payment — from the same engine run as the answer above.
| Month | Date | Store card | Credit card | Car loan | Total owed | Paid off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Oct 2026 | $1,200.00 | $6,800.00 | $9,500.00 | $17,500.00 | |
| 1 | Nov 2026 | $1,053.90 | $6,782.94 | $9,266.71 | $17,103.55 | |
| 2 | Dec 2026 | $906.72 | $6,765.50 | $9,032.27 | $16,704.49 | |
| 3 | Jan 2027 | $758.44 | $6,747.67 | $8,796.68 | $16,302.79 | |
| 4 | Feb 2027 | $609.07 | $6,729.44 | $8,559.93 | $15,898.44 | |
| 5 | Mar 2027 | $458.58 | $6,710.79 | $8,322.01 | $15,491.38 | |
| 6 | Apr 2027 | $306.98 | $6,691.73 | $8,082.93 | $15,081.64 | |
| 7 | May 2027 | $154.26 | $6,672.24 | $7,842.67 | $14,669.17 | |
| 8 | Jun 2027 | $0.41 | $6,652.31 | $7,601.23 | $14,253.95 | |
| 9 | Jul 2027 | $0.00 | $6,477.34 | $7,358.61 | $13,835.95 | Store card paid off |
| 10 | Aug 2027 | $0.00 | $6,298.02 | $7,114.78 | $13,412.80 | |
| 11 | Sep 2027 | $0.00 | $6,114.68 | $6,869.77 | $12,984.45 | |
| 12 | Oct 2027 | $0.00 | $5,927.21 | $6,623.54 | $12,550.75 |
Show the full schedule — all 3 years 1 month
| Month | Date | Store card | Credit card | Car loan | Total owed | Paid off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Oct 2026 | $1,200.00 | $6,800.00 | $9,500.00 | $17,500.00 | |
| 1 | Nov 2026 | $1,053.90 | $6,782.94 | $9,266.71 | $17,103.55 | |
| 2 | Dec 2026 | $906.72 | $6,765.50 | $9,032.27 | $16,704.49 | |
| 3 | Jan 2027 | $758.44 | $6,747.67 | $8,796.68 | $16,302.79 | |
| 4 | Feb 2027 | $609.07 | $6,729.44 | $8,559.93 | $15,898.44 | |
| 5 | Mar 2027 | $458.58 | $6,710.79 | $8,322.01 | $15,491.38 | |
| 6 | Apr 2027 | $306.98 | $6,691.73 | $8,082.93 | $15,081.64 | |
| 7 | May 2027 | $154.26 | $6,672.24 | $7,842.67 | $14,669.17 | |
| 8 | Jun 2027 | $0.41 | $6,652.31 | $7,601.23 | $14,253.95 | |
| 9 | Jul 2027 | $0.00 | $6,477.34 | $7,358.61 | $13,835.95 | Store card paid off |
| 10 | Aug 2027 | $0.00 | $6,298.02 | $7,114.78 | $13,412.80 | |
| 11 | Sep 2027 | $0.00 | $6,114.68 | $6,869.77 | $12,984.45 | |
| 12 | Oct 2027 | $0.00 | $5,927.21 | $6,623.54 | $12,550.75 | |
| 13 | Nov 2027 | $0.00 | $5,735.52 | $6,376.11 | $12,111.63 | |
| 14 | Dec 2027 | $0.00 | $5,539.52 | $6,127.46 | $11,666.98 | |
| 15 | Jan 2028 | $0.00 | $5,339.11 | $5,877.58 | $11,216.69 | |
| 16 | Feb 2028 | $0.00 | $5,134.20 | $5,626.48 | $10,760.68 | |
| 17 | Mar 2028 | $0.00 | $4,924.68 | $5,374.15 | $10,298.83 | |
| 18 | Apr 2028 | $0.00 | $4,710.44 | $5,120.57 | $9,831.01 | |
| 19 | May 2028 | $0.00 | $4,491.39 | $4,865.74 | $9,357.13 | |
| 20 | Jun 2028 | $0.00 | $4,267.40 | $4,609.67 | $8,877.07 | |
| 21 | Jul 2028 | $0.00 | $4,038.39 | $4,352.33 | $8,390.72 | |
| 22 | Aug 2028 | $0.00 | $3,804.22 | $4,093.73 | $7,897.95 | |
| 23 | Sep 2028 | $0.00 | $3,564.78 | $3,833.86 | $7,398.64 | |
| 24 | Oct 2028 | $0.00 | $3,319.96 | $3,572.71 | $6,892.67 | |
| 25 | Nov 2028 | $0.00 | $3,069.63 | $3,310.27 | $6,379.90 | |
| 26 | Dec 2028 | $0.00 | $2,813.67 | $3,046.55 | $5,860.22 | |
| 27 | Jan 2029 | $0.00 | $2,551.95 | $2,781.53 | $5,333.48 | |
| 28 | Feb 2029 | $0.00 | $2,284.35 | $2,515.20 | $4,799.55 | |
| 29 | Mar 2029 | $0.00 | $2,010.73 | $2,247.57 | $4,258.30 | |
| 30 | Apr 2029 | $0.00 | $1,730.95 | $1,978.62 | $3,709.57 | |
| 31 | May 2029 | $0.00 | $1,444.89 | $1,708.35 | $3,153.24 | |
| 32 | Jun 2029 | $0.00 | $1,152.38 | $1,436.75 | $2,589.13 | |
| 33 | Jul 2029 | $0.00 | $853.30 | $1,163.81 | $2,017.11 | |
| 34 | Aug 2029 | $0.00 | $547.50 | $889.54 | $1,437.04 | |
| 35 | Sep 2029 | $0.00 | $234.81 | $613.91 | $848.72 | |
| 36 | Oct 2029 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $252.02 | $252.02 | Credit card paid off |
| 37 | Nov 2029 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Car loan paid off |
What snowball is actually for
Snowball is not the cheapest order and does not claim to be. It is the order that produces a finished debt soonest, which for a lot of people is the difference between a plan they keep and a plan they abandon early.
If you would rather minimise interest, avalanche is the other order — and comparing them on your own numbers is the honest way to choose.
Questions about this calculator
What happens when balances are close or equal?
The order is recomputed every month from the balances at that point. Where balances tie, the higher rate goes ahead, and after that the order you entered the debts in.
Do I still pay the minimum on every other debt?
Yes. Every debt is paid its minimum every month, and only the money left over goes to the smallest balance.
Does the snowball method always cost more interest than avalanche?
Often it costs somewhat more, and sometimes exactly the same: when your smallest balance also carries your highest rate, both orders choose the same debt every month. Switch to avalanche above to see the difference on your own debts.
What does the extra amount do?
It is added on top of every minimum and goes to the debt at the front of the snowball. Clear it to see the plan on minimums alone; each paid-off debt's minimum still rolls forward to the next.
Where can I see when each debt is paid off?
In the month-by-month schedule under the answer, where the month each debt is paid off is marked, and on the chart above it.
From our research
Related
Reviewed 2026-09-17. Every figure on this page is produced by the same payoff engine the Dang! Payoff app runs, from the inputs shown, and is an estimate that holds only if the stated assumptions hold. The dates printed here were computed from a plan starting October 2026; the calculator re-anchors to the current month in your browser, so a date you read with JavaScript disabled is the one for that starting month rather than for today.
Dang! Payoff is a manual-entry debt payoff planner and tracker from Dang Apps LLC. It is not a lender, credit counselling agency, debt-relief, debt-management or debt-settlement service, and nothing here is financial, legal or tax advice or a recommendation about your situation. Your issuer’s or lender’s own terms govern your account.
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