Let's make a
plan
you can actually keep.
A small, kind set of calculators to map your way out of debt — and a magazine to keep you company on the road there.
Three small steps
to a real plan.
No spreadsheets to wrestle with. No accounts to lose your password to. You'll have an honest, personal payoff schedule before your tea goes cold.
Two minutes
List the debts you've been avoiding.
Balance, rate, minimum payment. That's it. Card by card, loan by loan — about two minutes for most folks.
Even $20 helps
Add anything extra — even twenty dollars.
Tiny amounts move the date more than you'd think. And if there's nothing extra right now, that's a perfectly fine answer too.
Your freedom date
Meet your freedom date — and a small plan.
One clear date. The order to pay things off. The total interest you'll save. Print it, save it, put it on the fridge.
Two ways to climb out.
Both work.
The best strategy is the one you'll actually stick with. Try both with your real numbers and see which feels right — your nervous system gets a vote, not just the math.
Start with the
smallest. Feel momentum.
Knock out your smallest balance first, no matter the rate. Each win unlocks the next one — and the motivation to keep going.
Open the snowball calculator Method two · AvalancheAttack the highest
rate. Save the most.
Target the debt costing you the most in interest first. Mathematically optimal — the path that keeps more money in your pocket.
Open the avalanche calculatorCan't decide? Compare both side-by-side with your actual numbers — takes one minute.
Each one answers
a real question.
Specific moments deserve specific tools. Tap in your numbers; get an answer in plain English.
Extra Payments
See what an extra $25 or $200 a month really shaves off.
Minimums Only
How long does it take if you only pay the minimum? (Brace yourself.)
Target Date
Pick a date you'd like to be free. We'll do the math backwards.
Fixed Extra
Same extra amount every month. What's it worth, exactly?
Balance Transfer
Worth the 3% fee or not? See the break-even, honestly.
Consolidation
Roll many debts into one. Will it actually help you?
Refinance Break-Even
How many months until the new loan saves you money?
Debt-to-Income
How are lenders seeing you right now? Find your DTI.
From the field · A reader's morning
I thought I needed a bigger salary. Turns out I needed a smaller, kinder spreadsheet — and a date on the calendar.Renée, 41 · paid off in 27 months
Stories about money,
told honestly.
A small editorial corner of Balance Buster, written by people who've been there. Mindset, motivation, and the kind of practical advice you'd actually take from a friend over coffee.
Open the magazineWhen you're ready.
No pressure.
It's five minutes. You can stop any time. And no, we don't ask for an email or sell anything dodgy on the next page.
Start my plan