Debt is future income you have already spent. A payoff plan is how you buy that income back. The mechanics are simple; the difficulty is staying with it, which is why the method you choose matters less than whether you keep going.
First, get the full picture on one page
List every debt with three columns: the balance, the interest rate, and the minimum payment. Most people find this step uncomfortable and clarifying in equal measure. You cannot prioritise what you have not written down.
Cover the minimums, then attack one debt
Always pay every minimum, to protect your credit and avoid fees. Then direct every extra dollar you have at a single target. Splitting extra payments across all your debts feels fair and finishes nothing.
Avalanche or snowball
The avalanche method targets the highest interest rate first. Mathematically this costs the least in total interest. The snowball method targets the smallest balance first. It costs slightly more, but it clears whole debts sooner, and that visible progress is what keeps many people going. Choose honestly based on which one you will still be doing in eight months.
Roll the freed-up payment forward
When a debt is cleared, its payment does not return to general spending. It joins the extra payment on the next target. The amount you throw at each debt grows as you go, which is where both methods get their momentum.
Protect the plan
Keep a small emergency fund while you pay down debt, even if that slows you slightly. Without one, the next unexpected bill goes back onto the card you just cleared. Consolidation and balance transfers can help, but read the fees and the rate after any promotional period, and treat them as a tool rather than a solution.
This is general education, not advice about your situation. If your debts feel unmanageable, a non-profit credit counselling service can review your circumstances properly.