The full path · Free & Judgment Free
Get out of debt:
the straight-forward,
step by step path
Getting Out of Debt in Canada
How to Pay Off Debt
Face the Full Number, Once
Most people in debt don’t actually know their total, because looking feels awful. Do it once, with kindness for yourself: list every debt, its balance, its interest rate, and its minimum payment. That single act converts a shapeless weight into a solvable problem, and everything after this step gets easier.
Make it a 20 minute appointment with yourself. Put on music, pour a coffee, and write it all down. You only have to do this once. After today, you’ll be tracking progress, not discovering damage.
Debt Repayment Calculator
Enter your debts once and see 5 different ways to pay it all off. Discover the fastest method for your situation.
Quick Self-Check Quiz
Just answer 4 questions to see how we can help you based on your situation. No personal details are needed.
2
Free Up Fuel with a Simple Budget
Every payoff plan runs on the same fuel: the gap between what comes in and what goes out. Before choosing a strategy, spend one week finding that gap. Even $50 a month redirected at your highest-interest debt shortens your timeline more than most people believe.
This step has its own full path, Build a budget that works, but the short version is: track for a couple of weeks, separate needs from wants, and give every leftover dollar a job.
More good info to help with this step
3
Pick Your Payoff Strategy — and See Your Date
With your list from step 1 and your fuel from step 2, choose how to attack:
- Avalanche: pay minimums on everything, throw every extra dollar at the highest interest rate first. Mathematically fastest and cheapest.
- Snowball: attack the smallest balance first. Slightly more interest paid, but each early win builds momentum — and momentum is what keeps real humans going.
Neither is wrong. The best strategy is the one you’ll still be following six months from now. What changes everything is knowing your debt-free date. It turns a weight into a countdown. Find your debt-free date and the optimal way to payoff your debt with our Debt Repayment Calculator. It will calculate everything for you and show you your results for the Avalanche and Snowball methods along with three other methods.
Compare strategies side by side
The Debt Repayment Calculator shows Avalanche vs. Snowball and 3 other methods with your real numbers.
Debt Payoff Challenge
A game that lets you feel how monthly choices move your payoff date.
4
Deal with Collectors from a Position of Knowledge
If accounts have gone to collections, the calls can feel relentless, but you have rights in Canada, and collectors have rules. Knowing them changes the conversation: what hours they can call, what they can and can’t say, and how to request communication in writing.
One more truth: collectors stop calling entirely once you’re on a formal repayment plan like a Debt Management Program. For many people, the silence is worth as much as the interest relief.
5
Protect the Progress You Make
The number one thing that knocks people off a payoff plan isn’t willpower. It’s a $400 surprise landing on a plan with zero cushion. Keep a small emergency buffer even while paying down debt, and once you’re debt free, redirect your old payment amount into savings. You’ve already proven you can live without that money.
Signs It’s Time to Bring in Free Backup
DIY works for many people. But if any of these sound familiar, you’ll get out faster, and feel better sooner, with a counsellor in your corner:
- You’re borrowing from one card to pay another, or using credit for groceries
- Minimum payments are all you can manage, and balances aren’t shrinking
- Collection calls have started, or you’re afraid they’re coming
- Money stress is affecting your sleep, health, or relationships
None of these are failures. They’re signals, and responding to signals early is what financially savvy people do. The call is free, confidential, and carries zero obligation: 1-888-527-8999.
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What's the fastest way to get out of debt?
Does getting help hurt my credit score?
Is it really free? How?
Yes. We’re a non-profit, and counselling is free, confidential, and no-obligation. If you choose a Debt Management Program there are modest monthly costs, explained clearly up front, never hidden, never sprung on you. At the end of the day, though, we help about 95% of people who contact us entirely for free. For people who choose to go on our Debt Management Program, about the same percentage do as when many provincial governments administered the program — before deciding that we did a better job and sending everyone to us instead.
Should I drain my savings to pay off debt?
More Great Resources to Help You Get Out of Debt
Debt Reduction Strategies
The 4 cornerstones of debt reduction strategies and budgeting.
Debt Solutions & Advice
Little known solutions and advice for Canadians in debt.
Credit Card Debt Relief
Learn how to get some debt relief from your credit cards.
How to Get Out of Debt & Stay Out of Debt
Debt solutions and strategies to get out of debt can vary for everyone. However, the sooner someone is able to deal with their debt, the more options they generally have available to them. Part of getting out of debt is learning new money habits that help you stay out of debt in the future.
Getting Out of Debt
Learn how to get out of debt and stay out of debt with new money habits.
Creating a Budget
Simple steps to make and stick to your personalized budget.
Debt Repayment Solutions
Find out what your options are to get back on track with your finances.
10 Tips for Paying Off Credit Card Debt
Ready to pay off your credit card debt? Here are some practical ways you can quickly tackle your maxed out cards and take your first real steps toward getting out of debt.
How to Get Credit Card Debt Relief in Canada
If you’ve been using your credit cards as a financial lifeline, it’s now catching up with you and you want to know how to get credit card debt relief, here are Canadian options, plans, programs, solutions, and advice – in short, straight answers.
Still Have Student Loan Debt?
Post-secondary students are faced with competing priorities – classes, exams, papers, family commitments, work-life balance, and more. For many, there just isn’t time left over to manage their finances. However, creating a budget is essential to making life a lot less stressful. We’ve put together 8 Money Management Tips to Help Students Budget Better to help you get back on track after you’re finished your education.
Canadian Debt Solutions & Advice
Credit Card Debt Solutions
Did you know that one of Canada’s best kept secrets is that there is award-winning advice for dealing with credit card debt available at our fingertips? With personal debt loads at record highs and more people than ever needing solutions to their debt problems, it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. Since 1996, hundreds of thousands of Canadians have trusted the Credit Counselling Society to help them learn how to manage their money better and find alternatives to bankruptcy to deal with their debt.
Having trouble with your debts?
Feel overwhelmed?
We can help. Give us a call at 1-888-527-8999 or chat with us here or on WhatsApp. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have. We’ll help you find the solution that works best for you.
Want to know exactly where to start?
Just answer these 4 simple questions
Simply respond to these 4 easy, multiple-choice questions to see how we can help you. It only takes a minute, and you might be surprised by what you learn.
Related Topics
Getting Rid of Debt
We’re happy to help you figure out your options. There are more than you might think.
Debt Management Program
You’re not alone if you’re wondering if a DMP is right for you. Here’s what it is and how it works.
Credit Counselling
Are you curious about what credit counselling is or how it works? Here’s what you need to know.
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