"Debt-shifting" means substituting a relatively low-interest debt (e.g., a 4.9% car loan) for debt that would otherwise be financed at a much higher interest rate. Here's a simple example. Suppose you want to buy both a new car and new furniture and have been saving money for the down payment on the car. You could use the “car down payment money” to buy the furniture, and finance the total cost of the car at a low interest rate. This strategy would be much cheaper than borrowing at a high interest rate to buy the furniture.
The key to successful debt-shifting is to look at all of your borrowing needs as a "total package" instead of as individual items.
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