How does the snowball spreadsheet order my debts?

By balance, smallest first, using a COUNTIFS formula in the Payoff order column. Debts with a zero balance are ignored. Ties are broken by the order you typed them in.

Does it roll payments forward when a debt is paid off?

Yes. On the Schedule sheet, once a debt's balance is zero its minimum is added to the focus debt's payment, along with your extra. That is the snowball.

Can I use it in Google Sheets or Excel?

Both, plus Numbers and LibreOffice. The formulas are classic functions with no add-ons.

How is this different from the Dave Ramsey snowball?

It is the same method: smallest balance first, minimums on the rest, roll each payoff forward. This is just a free template that does the month-by-month math for you.

[ Templates ] Spreadsheet

Debt snowball spreadsheet.

A free Excel and Google Sheets template that orders your debts smallest balance first, rolls every payoff into the next debt, and shows your debt-free date.

Excel / Google Sheets · 168 KB

Debtless debt snowball spreadsheet

Plan sheet ordered by smallest balance, a 240-month schedule with automatic rollover, a payment log and a how-to. Six debt slots.

Download free

The order.

#	Debt	Balance	APR	Minimum	Payoff order
1	Store card	$1,200.00	19.99%	$45.00	1
2	Credit card	$6,400.00	26.99%	$190.00	2
3	Car loan	$9,800.00	7.50%	$290.00	3
	Totals	$17,400.00		$525.00

Lavender cells in the file are yours to edit. The order column, the schedule and the debt-free date update on their own.

Using it month to month.

[ 01 ]
Enter your debts
Replace the lavender example cells on the Plan sheet. The order column ranks by balance immediately.
[ 02 ]
Set your extra
Whatever you can pay above the minimums. The budget cell shows the total you commit to each month.
[ 03 ]
Follow the Schedule
Each row is a month. It tells you what to pay on each debt, including the extra landing on the smallest balance.
[ 04 ]
Update balances
Once a month, overwrite the balances on the Plan sheet with your statements and the schedule re-plans from there.

More ways.

Prefer paper? The printable snowball worksheet is one page. Prefer no setup at all? The snowball calculator runs in your browser and the Debtless app carries the plan on your phone.