we have 3 we could pay off with tax return.
one card has about $9000 on it or so, so thats our big issue

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Stephanie

Then I would pay off those three, and take the amount you were paying each month on those 3 and split it between putting half into an emergency fund and the other half to pay EXTRA on the $9000 debt.

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I would put 1K in a savings account linked with your bank account and Don't touch it unless it's emergency! Then pay off as much as possible on the smaller ones and add that money you normally spend each month to the big one.

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A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt

I'M A DAVE RAMSEY FAN AND LIKE MANY OTHER MONEY EXPERTS THEY SAY YOU SHOULD HAVE 1 to 2 THOUSAND IN THE BANK FOR YOUR EMERGENCY FUND...THEN PAY OFF CARDS!!! IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND YOU WILL JUST END UP GETTING A LOAN OR PUTTING THE EMERGENCY EXPENSE ON A CREDIT CARD.

I was going to say the same thing. Not to mention, if you had that money up front, you might not be charging so much and thus increasing your debt & paying even more interest.

I'm also on the Dave Ramsey bus and say get that good solid $1,000 in savings FIRST. THEN, put EVERYTHING else towards those debts. It feels MUCH better knowing that fall-back money is there in case of Murphy coming to visit! I've just started this myself and can't wait for our tax refund. Once our W2s come in we're also going to be doing the withholding calculator and adjusting ours.

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