Some people just love Dave Ramsey’s debt snowball plan. You know, that’s the one where he tells folks to pay off their lowest balance debt and to then apply all of the money previously being spent on that debt to the next smallest until it’s paid. Every time you clear a debt, you roll that money toward the next one and, boom, you’re out from under those bills in record time.

Others think that Dave loves the system more than he loves his math. They advocate a similar approach, but focus on paying down debts with a higher interest rate first instead of working from smallest to largest.

One system is based on psychology, the other is based on logic and math. Either way, the idea is to get that debt reduction moving quickly and efficiently. It’s a good approach, too. But there are occasional problems.

First, you need to get that first debt paid off before anything starts to snowball. For some people who are barely scraping by after paying their bills, that can be tough.

Second, there are times when you’d really like to have a little extra snow to pack onto the ball when you roll into a larger debt that’s going to take a while to pay off. Part of the reason people love the snowball is because of the visible quick results.

That’s why those who are paying down their debts this way might want to consider giving their snowball a little boost by intentionally setting aside extra cash for the paydown when they come in under budget in some area.

Let’s say, for instance, that you’ve set aside $100 to pay your gas bill for March. Luckily, things warm up faster than expected and you only spend $50 on gas. That $50 gain is then applied immediately at the end of the month to the bill that’s directly in line with your snowball.

You can encourage paydowns a little more by applying spare change or even coupon savings on groceries that weren’t previously calculated as part of your budget to the debt. It soon becomes a game of sorts. You’re looking for every possible penny to throw at that bill so you can knock it down and move onto the next one.

That gaming attitude is important, too. If you begin to see this as something you can actually “win” instead of an ugly part of life’s fine print, you’ll discover a reservoir of dedication you may not have thought you had. People often “fall of the wagon” when trying to take control of their finances, but those who see themselves as competing with a chance for victory are much more likely to see things through to the end.

If you’re trying to lighten your debt load and are working with a snowball system, think about anywhere and everywhere you might be able to find an extra dime to pay toward the next bill. By increasing that payment, you’ll keep things rolling downhill quickly. That extra effort can be the best way to get off to a great start and it can also serve as a shot in the arm when things seem as though they’re beginning to drag.

And if you’re tempted even a little bit to spend that extra cash on something else, play a little game. Take the amount of money that you’re considering keeping for an unnecessary purchase and multiply it by the interest rate on your next debt. Add that number to the “principal” you have in your hand. Now, repeat that process for as long as you’ll be paying off your debts if you don’t get your snowball moving.

When that $100 turns out to be over $600 over a ten-year term at 20% interest per annum, you’ll begin to feel a little more excited about applying it to your debt!