Why minimums are designed to last
Issuers often set the minimum as interest plus a tiny slice of principal. Most of an early payment is interest. Principal barely moves.
What extra $50–$200 actually does
Extra dollars hit principal. That lowers next month’s interest. Small extras often cut years, not weeks.
- Same minimums on every debt, plus one extra pool for snowball or avalanche order.
- One-time snowflakes on a specific month punch a hole in the balance.
- Compare both strategies against a minimums-only baseline.
How to use the calculator
- Enter each balance, APR, and current minimum.
- Calculate at $0 extra — that is the minimums path.
- Drag the extra slider. The vs-minimums card updates live.
- Copy the summary when the savings number is share-worthy.
Nothing is uploaded. Two amortizations run in your browser: plan vs extra = 0.