payoff-strategies

When you owe on several debts at once, the only real decision is which one gets your spare dollars first. Avalanche (highest rate first) is mathematically optimal; snowball (smallest balance first) hands you a paid-off debt far sooner and keeps you motivated. The simulator runs both orderings on the same debt mix and budget: on the default $25,000 mix, avalanche saves $3,792 — and snowball's first win arrives 15 months earlier.