You’ve probably heard a lot of good advice over the years on how to pay off your debts, including the tip that you should pay more than the minimum payment due each month. However, this may not always be easy when you are on a tight budget. Even if you want to pay more than the minimum balance, you may not be able to afford it.

Fortunately, there are several ways that you can pay more on your credit cards by using “hidden” sources of money. The sources are hidden in plain sight, and once you re- purpose them to be used to pay off your debt, you’ll find yourself better off financially in the long run.

One of the best ways to reduce your debt is to use your tax return each year in debt repayment. If you typically get a large tax return payment each year, it means that you are giving the government a no-interest loan! Use that money wisely to reduce your personal debt, and consider increasing your exemptions on your paycheck if you can. The more exemptions you can claim, the more of your paycheck you get to keep. You’ll get a smaller tax return back in the coming year, but you’ll get more of your money each month that you can use to pay off your debts further.

If you have a savings account built up and a large amount of debt, you should sacrifice your savings in order to be debt free. Although you may take a lot of pride in building up your savings, it doesn’t make sense to hold on to it while you are paying 18% interest on your credit cards. Most savings accounts only pay 4%, so you’re better off using that money to pay off your debt.

You can pay off debts painlessly by squirreling away any bonuses, overtime or raises that you get at your job. Use the difference between your old paycheck and your new paycheck to make extra payments on your accounts. Since you didn’t have this money before, you won’t miss it at all.

Finally, the simplest way to find money to make extra payments is to trim down your spending. If you’re not sure what you are spending money on, start saving receipts and writing down everything that you spend. In just a matter of time, you’ll be able to see where you need to make changes in your spending habits. Once you make these changes, you’ll be able to make more than your minimum monthly payments each month.

Although you may not initially want to use this found money to pay off your personal debts, you set yourself up for success by doing so. You’ll save a lot of money in interest and be debt free much sooner than you planned. It will also help your credit and allow you to get better interest rates in the future.