How I Paid Off $6,000 in Credit Card Debt Using Balance Transfers

The Story

"At 28, I was juggling $6,000 in credit card debt across three cards at nearly 20% interest. I finally applied for a balance transfer card with 0% APR for 18 months. By paying $350/month and avoiding new debt, I became debt-free in 17 months."

Advisor Breakdown

Situation:

• $6,000 spread across multiple cards.

• High interest (20%) making progress feel impossible.

Task:

• Find a way to reduce interest costs and accelerate payoff.

Action:

• Applied for 0% APR balance transfer card.

• Consolidated balances into one account.

• Committed to $350/month payments, no new card usage.

👉 I like this because balance transfers can be a smart tool if you have discipline. The trap is transferring, then running up the old cards again — but here, discipline made it work.

Result:

• Cleared $6,000 in 17 months.

• Saved ~$1,800 in interest.

• Boosted credit score by reducing utilization.

Key Takeaways

• Balance transfers are powerful if paired with a strict payoff plan.

• Discipline is key — don’t accumulate more debt.

• Short-term sacrifice leads to long-term relief.