How does the order I pay my debts change how fast I get out of debt?

Dramatically, because interest compounds against you. If you funnel every extra dollar to your highest-rate debt (the avalanche), less interest accrues overall, so more of your money kills principal and you finish sooner and cheaper. If you scatter extra payments evenly, or chase the smallest balance regardless of rate (the snowball), you pay more interest and, mathematically, take longer.

The key move is choosing one 'attack' debt and paying only minimums on the rest, then rolling each freed-up payment onto the next debt. That rolling effect, not the individual payments, is what accelerates payoff. The rate spread between your debts determines how much the order matters: wide spread favors avalanche strongly. Map your exact sequence with the Debt Payoff Calculator at wealthserene.com/tools/debt-payoff.