It's really easy to nickel and dime yourself to death on food and drinks out that first year. Training is long and you need distractions at times. Airport food is expensive, a good cooler is worth the money. Also living in base helps this, makes day trips or two days easier and reserve soooooo much easier. I grossed under 20k my first year. I also recommend get rid of the extra stuff that isn't improving your life much. I cancelled cable, kept a dumb phone, walked or rode my bike more to cut down the gas bill, and learned to cook better from scratch. I also managed to bid weekends in December and throw boxes for UPS during the week that Christmas season. If you've got a significant other; hiking, museums, or an exercise routine are all cheap ways to spend quality time. Good luck! Where are you looking? What are your quals?