24%
And your numbers are off for pay. Also, by the time my husband enlisted, I had been jobless for nearly 2 years, and he had been jobless for 6 months. (2007-08, during massive lay offs and the economic whatever it was.)
He started out making a little over $1600/month base pay. He wasn't deployed the whole time (just the 12 months out of 5.5 years). Hazard duty at the time was like $150. Family separation was $250...but it sometimes takes a while for both to kick in...Housing allowance was "okay", but the area we were living in - the landlords made it a point to price out JENL by putting their lowest rate as the JNCO allowance. We did live on post, so our whole allowance went back to the military. We didn't get money back if we conserved water or power (when I was in my home state while he was in basic/AIT...I was able to save over half of our allowance b/c our rent was cheap for the market, and I was good about utility use - and we had lots of back rent, overdue utilities, and other expenses I had to pay back from our unemployed time). While we were there, the goal was to make sure our debts were paid off (once I got a chunk of back pay for him that paid off several things). From the time he enlisted to about a year later I had fully and completely paid off all our debts, and had money saved for our next move.
And within 6 weeks of our next move we were out nearly $6k. B/c our (paid off) car was damaged during shipping. It's clearly marked on the sheet before shipping, and when we got it back after...the door was fucking TAPED ON. American car, euro mechanics...That shit isn't cheap (or quick, 6 week turnaround is common). And we tried to file a claim for reimbursement, but they kept denying it based on "mechanical" damage (b/c the door literally CAME OFF it's hinge...the shipper considered it mechanical...our claim was never settled...we did file through our own insurance carrier, but they only covered a portion of the damage - less deductible, with a cap on rental use, which was a fuck up all it's own, that ended up just being a life lesson, but wasn't the largest part of the cost).
We were not rich before he enlisted, we certainly were not rich after. We just didn't have to cover things like health care out of our own pockets.
He does not "make money" to stay home...he get's a small compensation b/c his body will never be the same, and in order to function every day he takes a dozen pills. We are poor, but we are also both students, so we don't expect any different right now. We know later we will have better job opportunities. We are youngish, we still have a lot of time to work to get to a better place, and when the compensation isn't our main 'income', it will be a safety net.
And I might not have passed the algebra portion of my placement test...but I know how interest works. We are SO aware of how much we spent on that car. But it runs, we keep it well maintained, we expect it to keep running for a few more years...and even if we get $1,000 when we go to sell it, that's okay. B/c it has been very helpful...and it wasn't a new car when we bought it. The original loan was for about $10k (which was high for the area, but circumstance...We had to fit 3 kids in child safety seats, even though the oldest was 9). We did not miss payments, and when we got a tax refund one year we paid off the final $1800 early.
I'm sorry if you think my misfortune makes me wholly unqualified to talk about finances. I've been there. I've done the things that people do b/c they are fucking desperate. I have sold our possessions. I have cleaned houses, and scrubbed toilets. I have worked under the table, b/c that's the kind of job I could get. Also, b/c my husband was in the military and everything had to be in his name alllllll the time...I have no credit history. None. I can't even look myself up online. The military gave my husband a GI Bill, and gave me a flag on my credit. We're using one to our advantage and trying to fix the other.
I see you in your place of privilege, though. It's cool. You're going to throw your account away. I'm using my actual account to admit to shitty decisions, shitty living, and poverty. I'm not ashamed of my life.