How to Build a Debt Payoff Plan That Has a Date
Product guide
Stop guessing how long it takes.
Minimum payments hide the finish line. Put every card and loan in one place with its balance and rate, choose the order you pay them in, and the plan returns the month you are debt-free and what another fifty dollars a month would buy you — all from your own numbers.
- 3 editions: app, Google Sheets, Excel
- $24 once, no subscription
- Avalanche, snowball or your own order
- Works offline
- No bank connection
What a debt payoff tracker has to do
A list of balances is a worry. A plan is a date. Four things make the difference:
Gives you a month, not a feeling
Your debt-free month, the total owed and the interest your plan will cost, shown against paying only the minimums.
Lets you choose the order and see the cost
Avalanche pays the highest rate first and costs least; snowball clears the smallest balance first and feels fastest. Compare plans shows both dates and both interest totals.
Prices an extra payment in months
Change what you pay extra, or add a one-time payment, and watch the date move. That is the clearest argument for finding the extra.
Keeps the record as you go
Every payment you log lowers that balance, and you can see what you paid this month, this year and per month.
Setting it up
One purchase gives you all three editions, so pick the one that suits how you work. You can use more than one; they do not sync with each other.
The app
Any modern browser. No install.
- Check your email for the Darzen username and password we send right after checkout.
- Sign in at account.darzenstore.com and open Darzen Debt Freedom.
- Download the app and open it in your browser.
- Sign in once. After that it works offline, on up to two devices.
Google Sheets
A free Google account.
- Sign in to your Darzen account and open the Google Sheets edition.
- Choose Make a copy. Your copy lands in your own Google Drive.
- Rename it if you like, then start on the first tab.
Excel
Excel 2010 or later, Mac or Windows, or Excel for the web. No macros.
- Sign in to your Darzen account and download the Excel workbook.
- You get two files: a blank copy, and an example copy already filled in.
- Open the example first to see how it behaves, then work in the blank one.
How to use it, screen by screen
The walkthrough follows the app; the spreadsheet editions carry the same tabs.
See where you stand
The overview carries your debt-free month, the total owed, the interest on your plan and how much is already paid off. The chart puts your plan next to paying only the minimums, which is usually the moment the plan earns its keep.
List every debt once
Each card and loan carries its balance, rate, minimum, due day, the month it is paid off and the interest left on it. Log a payment or correct a balance straight from the card.
Choose the order you pay in
Avalanche, snowball or an order of your own. Add an extra amount each month and any one-time payments, then use Compare plans to see the debt-free month and the interest for each.
Log payments as you make them
Each payment lowers that balance and moves the date. You can see what you paid this month, this year and per month, and the days you made payments.
Try it right here
Use the real thing before you buy. The demo is the app with a sample set of debts loaded — change the extra payment and watch the date move.
The real app, loaded with sample data, in its own tab. Nothing you type into it is saved.
Questions people ask first
Which is better, avalanche or snowball?
Avalanche costs less interest; snowball clears individual debts sooner, which some people find easier to keep up. The planner shows both so you can choose with the numbers in front of you.
Does it connect to my bank or creditors?
No. You enter balances and payments yourself. Nothing leaves your device.
Are the dates guaranteed?
No. They are estimates calculated from the balances, rates and payments you enter, and they move when those change.
Is there a subscription?
No. It is one purchase of $24, and updates are free.
How do I get the files after I buy?
Right after checkout we email you a Darzen username and password. Sign in to your Darzen account to download the app and the Excel files, and to make your copy of the Google Sheets edition.
Can I see a month-by-month schedule?
Yes. The spreadsheet editions include a month-by-month Schedule tab.
Put a date on it
One purchase, three editions, no subscription. Enter the balances once and the plan does the rest.