These ideas may seem obvious, and they are. The challenge is making the conscious decision to be disciplined about it. Even if you choose two of the items on this list, if you keep close track, you’ll quickly see progress.

1. Cash Out Your Reward Points
Credit Cards offer reward point programs. You are able to cash out your points – check with your reward programs and see which will allow you to cash out of points in order to accelerate your debt payoff.

2. Free Entertainment = Debt Payoff
Have you thought of how many free entertainment options are out there? Tuesday is Free Museum day at Balboa Park, for example. Sign up for free gym trials, host a movie or game night, or even volunteer! Spend one month enjoying free entertainment, and “spend” what you save on debt repayment!

3. Sign up for a Bank Offer
Several credit unions in the San Diego area and certain national banks offer a bonus to open an account. Be aware of restrictions and read the fine print! With some account offers you have to do a direct deposit or a certain number of debit card transactions. You might need to bring a certain threshold of new savings to open the account, and keep it in the account for six months. It won’t yield you money to pay down your debt right away, but you’ll get a boost down the road once you can withdraw the bonus and/or close the account.

4. Carpool
Check with coworkers or gym buddies, and consider how much you’ll save – even if you carpool 2 days a week! While you’ll give up some personal freedom, you may even develop a workout partner to keep you focused or get to work earlier or later, which looks good to the boss. And rather than spending $70 a week on gas you might cut that amount in half.

5. Pay More Than The Minimum
It may seem really obvious, but few of us do it. Break the habit of paying only the minimum each month. Paying the minimum — usually 2% to 3% of the outstanding balance — only prolongs the agony. The banks want you to take longer in paying off your principal – the longer you take to repay the balance, the more interest they make.