Pay Dirt is Slate’s money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Kristin and Ilyce here. (It’s anonymous!)
Dear Pay Dirt,
I am 27 and looking to pay off as much debt as I can before looking to purchase a home. But there are some obstacles in the way. My parents never gave me sound financial advice when I was younger. And I have been financially independent since 18, which has lead to debt accumulation I could have avoided.
I now have an amazing job where I make $1,600 biweekly after taxes, and I can comfortably pay the minimum amounts on my debt because of low living expenses. My credit score is around 660, which I have been working to improve. I have heard about the debt avalanche and debt snowball methods,…