8 Easy Ways to Pay Off Your Debt Faster

If you're like most people, your debt is probably weighing you down. The worst part is that it can take a long time to pay off. But what if we told you there are ways to pay off your debt faster? Yes, there is!

However, it is not a stroll through the park. It necessitates financial discipline, commitment, and planning.

So how can you clear your debts faster?

1. Pay More than the Minimum

If you only pay the minimum payment on your debts, you’ll pay more interest rates. It will also take you much longer to get out of debt.

So, put as much as possible towards debt every month, even if it’s just a little bit. Every extra payment you make will bring you closer to being debt free. 

Of course, you'll need to make sure you can afford the higher payments.  So, create a budget and see where you can cut back and put that extra money towards debt.

Read Also: Coping With Debt: How To Deal With Debt of Any Size

2. Track Your Spending

If you’d like to get out of debt faster, you need to find out where your money is going. This way, you’ll know what to cut back on when creating a budget.

It’s a good idea to track both your monthly and daily spending. Here’s how to get started tracking your expenses.       

• Use a budgeting app. 
• Keep receipts. 
• Use banking app trackers. 
• Track your expenses in a spreadsheet.
• Keep notes in a notebook. 

Whichever method you choose, make sure you're diligent about tracking your spending.

Read Also: 8 Amazing Benefits of Tracking Your Spending.

3. Create a New Budget

By having a spending plan, you can get a clear picture of where your money is going and where you can cut back. This can help you free up money to put towards your debt.

So how do you create a budget?

First, calculate your income. This includes all sources of income, such as your salary, any investment income, and any other money you receive.

Next, track your expenses. This includes all of your regular expenses, such as your rent, utilities, food, and transportation. It also includes any other money you spend, such as on entertainment or clothes.

Once you have a good understanding of your income and expenses, you can start to create a budget.  If you find that you are spending more than you are bringing in, you will need to cut back on your expenses.

Creating and sticking to a budget can be challenging, but it is a valuable tool for managing your debts.

More learning:  6 Simple Steps to Create a Working Budget

4. Pay Debts with High-Interest First

Focusing on the debt with the highest interest rate first will ensure you clear your debt more quickly and save money on interest. This strategy is called debt avalanche.

However, it doesn’t mean that you should neglect your low-interest loans. Pay the minimum amount required on them and direct any other extra cash you may have to the high-interest debt.

Here’s how to use the debt avalanche strategy

1. List out all of your debts, from the highest interest rate to the lowest. 
2. Create a budget to know how much more you might be able to pay toward your debt each month. 
3. Pay more on the debt with the highest interest rate.
4. Increase your extra payments as you pay off your debt.

Read Also: Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Get Out of Debt

5. Get a Side Hustle

Most people get side hustles to generate extra cash to help with short-term expenses or to fund a big purchase. However, you can also use your income from side hustles to pay off your debt faster.

So, take on a second job and then use the extra funds to repay your debts. Here are some side hustles you may want to take advantage of to help clear your debt faster.

Freelancing

Many companies are hiring freelancers to write, code, design, and so on. You can find such jobs on freelance marketplaces like:

• Upwork
• Guru
• Fiver
• Freelancer.com
• LinkedIn

The point is that there are numerous opportunities to use your skills to earn extra cash in your free time.

Tutoring

If you’re a subject matter expert in subjects such as calculus, languages, or programming, you can turn your knowledge into money by offering tutoring services. 

Examples of tutoring companies you can apply to include:

• Varsity Tutors
• Yap
• Tutors.com

You can also reach out to local colleges and inquire about offering your services.

Selling stuff online

If you have online items you no longer use, sell them online and direct the funds you generate into debt repayment. 

Before you start, research the best way to sell your particular items. You can sell these items on online marketplaces such as

• Jiji
• eBay
• Craiglist 
• Facebook Marketplace. 

Alternatively, you can set up your own online store. You'll want to price your items competitively and take good-quality photos. Once you get started, be sure to promote your online store to reach the widest possible audience.

Also read: How to Start a Side Hustle When You ‘Don’t Have the Time’.

6. Restructure Your Loans

If you feel overwhelmed by your loan, consider restructuring it. This involves negotiating with your lender to change the terms of your loan, such as the interest rate, repayment schedule, or both.

However, ensure that you can afford the new terms of your loan before you agree to anything. You'll also need to ensure that your lender is willing to work with you on restructuring your loan.

This can involve lengthening the term of your loan so that you have more time to pay it off, or refinancing your loan to get a lower interest rate.

Also read: Why Banks are Going Slow on Loan Defaulters

7. Sell Unwanted Items

You may have items around your home that you no longer use or need, which can be sold for extra cash. This extra money can then be applied to your debt, helping you to pay it off more quickly.

To get started, have a look around your home and identify any items that you no longer use or need. You can then list these items for sale online or in your local community.

Be sure to price your items competitively to attract buyers. With a little effort, you can quickly raise the extra cash you need to repay your debt faster. 

Anyway, getting rid of clutter and making some extra money to repay debt can be a win-win situation.

More learning: 4 Tips to Sell Unwanted Items Online Quickly.

8. Stop Borrowing More Money 

Debt can be overwhelming and frustrating. It can seem that the only way to get out quickly is to borrow money. Robbing Peter to pay Paul as some people will say.

While this can work in some cases, it’s generally not a good idea.  You could easily end up paying more in interest and fees than you would have. Besides, the aim is to pay off your debt faster, not to accumulate more debt. 

That said, it’s challenging to qualify for a loan if you have a lot of debt. 

Lastly, borrowing money can be a slippery slope. It's easy to convince yourself that you'll just borrow a little bit of money to get out of debt, but then find yourself borrowing more and more just to keep up with your payments.

It's better to focus on creating a budget and sticking to it so that you can slowly pay off your debts without borrowing more money.

Also read: Critical Dos and Don’ts of Managing Your Money

Wrapping Up

It's quite possible to pay off your debts fast. All it takes is a little planning and a willingness to do it.  

Even so, debt reduction is a personal issue. Some strategies will work better than others depending on individual situations. It’s thus important to find the method that works best for you. Hopefully one of these strategies will help you get out of debt faster.