Yes I am counting per diem, about $5000 worth. Per diem is INCOME, you are PAID whether you use it or not. I personally pack food. I fly with CA's that pack food. It's income. It's your own fault (not yours personally, just speaking in general) if you have a steak dinner every night and chose to use it as reimbursement. A typical 4-days worth of food cost me $16.50.

When my father goes away on business trips he doesn't get paid per diem. He gets reimbursed. I chose to save per diem and eat healthy.

I've been off reserve now for 3 months, and in those three months I've averaged 96 hours of pay as a junior line holder (89, 98, and 102). Let's transpose that to second year pay of $33.86/hr (assuming we don't get the old contract back of $39/hr), even assume a little less than 96 hours in case I want to take it easy:

$33.86 x 90 hours/month x 12 months = $36,569 base pay
$1.45 per diem (average of $1.40 now and $1.50 come october) x 320 TAFB/month x 12 months = $5568 in per diem

TOTAL = $42,137 in pay

Granted, that's working a lot and only getting 13-14 days off a month. I live in domicile so I'm ok with that. I prefer to work my @ss off now and save for retirement while compond interest can still do its job.