Credit-card interest is your single biggest leak — ~$699 / mo
up to ~$8,385 / yrSouthwest $432.80 + Sapphire $114.62 + Capital One $99.67 + Prime Visa $51.64 = $698.73 / mo last cycle · on $46,463 of balances
Effective APRs (interest ÷ balance) run roughly: Prime Visa ~27%, Capital One ~21%, Sapphire ~18%, Southwest ~17%. That is a higher rate than your mortgage and HELOC, compounding on revolving balances.
Suggested, in order:
- Avalanche by rate — put every spare dollar on the highest-rate card first (Prime Visa → Capital One → Sapphire → Southwest), paying minimums on the rest.
- Balance transfer the highest-rate balances (Prime + Capital One + Sapphire ≈ $15.5k) to a 0%-intro-APR card. A typical 18-month 0% offer with a ~3% fee costs ~$465 up front and saves ~$3,200+ in interest over the intro window.
- Stop charging the Southwest while it carries a balance — each new purchase compounds at ~17%. Route everyday spend to a card you pay in full, or to debit.
Rule of thumb: every $10,000 moved off these cards saves ~$1,700–$2,700 / yr.