With the snowball method, you focus on paying off debts from the smallest balance to the largest. The idea is that knocking out small balances quickly provides motivation. With the avalanche, you focus on paying off your debts

3. Income and spending
   The survey found that 14% of partnered Americans have lied to or withheld information from their partner about their income. And nearly a quarter of partnered Americans (23%) have lied to or withheld information from their partners about how much they spent on a purchase. Your earning and your spending affect how much money is available for you and your spouse to build your life together. Lay out your current income and expenses and ask your partner to do the same so you can decide together whether there’s enough money to go around and, if not, what to do about it.

Credit scoring doesn’t take marital status into account, and spouses’ scores aren’t linked or combined in scoring formulas. But your scores can still affect each other. For example, if you decide to buy a home, both of your credit scores will likely be taken into account for a mortgage. If your credit isn’t good, it could mean a higher interest rate — if not outright rejection — and if you lied about it, your spouse may be resentful.

This might mean paying down debt, setting up automatic payments to make sure every bill is being paid on time, or requesting your credit reports and disputing any errors