Almost three out of four Americans say they’re burdened with debt.1 Whether or not you’re part of the majority here, it’s clear debt is quite common. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Besides, who wants to be common? Who wants to feel burdened?

That’s what debt does. It holds you back from excellence, from achieving your dreams, and from feeling peace.

But again: It doesn’t have to be this way. (Yes, we said it twice so it hits home.)

Not only do you not have to feel burdened by your bills, you also don’t have to spend your life owing money. You can pay off your debt. You can be the one in control of your money—not the lenders you’re borrowing from at a price that’s holding you back.

With these six tips, you can get rid of debt faster than ever. So here we go.

Take just a few minutes to think about your debt—really think about it—and you’ll no doubt begin to feel overwhelmed.

It’s weird, isn’t it? You might spend years swiping credit cards and signing for loans without a moment’s hesitation. And then one day you wake up with a gasp and a realization:

I have to get rid of all this debt!

But like most things that take time to build up, paying off debt doesn’t happen overnight. Thankfully, you’re not alone. Plenty of folks in the EveryDollar community have been right where you are.

And we’re here to offer you the best method for getting rid of debt faster and easier than you ever thought possible: the debt snowball.

You’re sitting down to make your monthly budget, and there it is: that big, ugly category called debt. You know the one. It takes up an annoying amount of space in your budget. And boy, do those payments add up!

Imagine what your budget would look like if you didn’t have debt. Think about how much you could give, save and spend.

It may sound too good to be true, but tons of people are paying off their debt and taking control of their paychecks. And you could be next!

We asked some of our EveryDollar budgeters for their tips to paying off debt, and we couldn't have said it better ourselves! Here’s what they had to say:

Christmas is just around the corner!

That means it’s time to decorate the tree, brew up some hot apple cider, and turn on your favorite holiday classics. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

But if you’re trying to get out of debt, you might be dreading the holiday season instead of looking forward to it. Can you keep making extra payments on your debt and still buy presents for everyone on your list? Even if you spend just $20 on each person, those numbers add up—and fast!

Well, guess what? You can still give gifts and keep your debt snowball rolling. All you need to do is get creative. So set your Christmas budget (no matter how big or small) and get ready to think outside the box! Here are some ideas to get you started.

Fun fact: You can pay off a $10,000 student loan five years earlier just by throwing $100 on top of your minimum monthly payment.

That’s great, but where do you find the extra $100 in your budget to throw toward debt? Give one of these ways a try: