Too Much Credit Card Debt? 4 Ways to Pay It Off

Too Much Credit Card Debt? Here Are 4 Ways to Pay It Off

Credit cards are a strategic tool to manage short-term debt. But spending plastic money is much easier than doling out cash, which means it’s also easy to find yourself in a deep hole of credit card debt. And with high interest rates adding to your balance every month, quickly paying off credit cards is of utmost importance. So if you’re in too deep with credit card debt, here are 4 simple ways to pay it off.

1. Choose a Repayment Plan and Stick with It

Once you decide to take initiative and pay off your credit card debt, you’ll want to learn about repayment strategies you should consider. Two of the most popular debt repayment methods are the debt snowball and debt avalanche. With the debt snowball, you’ll focus on repaying debts starting with the lowest total amount due, whereas the avalanche focuses on your highest-interest debt first.

The debt snowball tends to be best for those who need motivation with a quick win by paying down the first credit card fast. But if you’re more concerned about saving money, the debt avalanche can go a long way in reducing the amount of interest you’ll pay over time.

2. Consider Debt Consolidation

When you hold a lot of high-interest credit card debt, sometimes transitioning to a single debt payment each month can help you get debt repayment under control. And there are two main ways to consolidate credit card debt: a credit card balance transfer or a debt consolidation loan.

With a balance transfer credit card, you’ll open a new card or use an existing card to transfer the balance of all other credit cards. Then, you’ll make a single monthly payment on the balance transfer card, which hopefully has a promotional period with 0% APR as you quickly work to tackle the debt. A debt consolidation loan is a personal loan that generally carries a lower interest rate than your credit cards, depending on your credit score. Each of these options can help you simplify credit card debt management and help you get out of debt sooner. 

3. Slash Your Expenses

It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to quickly pay off credit card debt is to cut your current spending. Try to stop using your credit cards and opt to use cash for purchases instead. This will help you be more mindful about spending.

Then, review your non-essential spending over the past few months to identify items that contributed to your credit card debt without providing a lot of value to your life. You can then work toward eliminating unnecessary purchases moving forward. It also helps to create or update your budget based on what’s necessary and what’s superfluous.

4. Up Your Income

If you’ve already cut back on spending, another option to pay off credit card debt is increasing your income. That might mean asking for a raise at work or picking up a part-time job or a side hustle.

You can do these jobs on weekends and put all of your paychecks directly toward credit card debt until it’s under control. Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of spending more time earning money, which means less time to spend it.

The Bottom Line

Credit card debt can be a huge financial burden, and it’s wise to pay it off as quickly as possible. Be smart about managing your credit card debt by choosing an appropriate repayment strategy, considering debt consolidation as needed, cutting back expenses, and increasing your income. If you do all of these things, you’ll be well on your way to a debt-free lifestyle.

Brooke Joly 

Brooke is a freelancer who focuses on the financial wellness and technology sectors. She has a passion for all things wellness and spends her days cooking up healthy recipes, running, and snuggling up with a good book and her fur babies.