Smallest balance first — because early wins keep people going
List debts smallest to largest, pay every minimum, and throw all extra money at the smallest — regardless of its interest rate.
Hypothetical example: a $40 minimum plus $200 extra = $240 a month concentrated on the $1,800 card.
That card is cleared in month 8. One account gone entirely — the win the method is built around.
The freed $240 rolls on: the next debt gets about $305 a month, then about $390, then the full $500 — debt-free in month 32.
On the same debts, the snowball pays about $3,178 interest versus the avalanche's $2,669 — because the 28% APR card waited eight months for full attention.