Custom Strategies

Why Use a Custom Strategy?

While the snowball and avalanche methods work well for most people, sometimes you have personal reasons for prioritizing certain debts. BeDebtFree lets you set your own payoff order for maximum flexibility.

Reasons for Custom Order

You might want a custom strategy if:

• You owe money to a family member and want to pay them back first

• A debt is causing emotional stress regardless of its size or rate

• You want to pay off a secured debt to free up collateral

• A creditor is being particularly aggressive

• You have a promotional rate expiring soon

Setting Up Custom Order

1. Go to your debt payoff plan

2. Select Custom as your payoff strategy

3. Drag and drop debts to set your preferred order

4. BeDebtFree will calculate payments based on your order

Impact on Savings

When using a custom order, BeDebtFree shows you how your choice compares to the avalanche method. You can see the difference in total interest paid and debt-free date, helping you make an informed decision.

Hybrid Approaches

Some users prefer a hybrid approach - for example, paying off one emotionally important debt first, then switching to avalanche for the rest. With custom ordering, you have complete flexibility.