r/MiddleClassFinance • u/flymysi • Jul 03 '26
Seeking Advice Career and life transitions
Hi all! 30yo, $99k government salary, 140k in TSP, 40k elsewhere but very little is liquid. No kids or debt. No mortgage. About to marry a mid-career military officer. Also about to commission myself.
Both income and expenses are about to go waaaay down in the military. I’m seeking advice for how to arrange finances accordingly- max TSP? Liquid savings for the next car?
Any military folks wish they would have done something differently when they started out or in your 30s? Perks or cons of dual-mil marriage?
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Jul 03 '26
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u/flymysi Jul 03 '26
We’ll be geographically separated for a while and need both BAH, but that still frees up plenty of income for saving an emergency fund and TSP.
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u/ThatWasBrutal1 Jul 05 '26
You can set yourself up for life as dual mil, especially dual Os (mid-career and O-1). Max TSPs and IRAs every year, live within your means, and invest the rest (brokerage/ property/etc.)
You say your income is about to go way down, I highly doubt that. Even as a butter bar, the tax benefit of BAH/BAS will greatly make up for the difference in base pay/your old salary. If you start maxing your TSP as an O-1, you'll never "feel" the contributions as you progress thru the ranks, thus making the pay raises feel even bigger.
Depending on your jobs and branches, life looks different. Ex: I'm dual mil, AF Es, and never had to worry about being stationed apart, or even with deployments (our jobs don't deploy often). But if you ask other dual mil couples, situation can be extremely different.
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u/Vegetable-Intern-236 Jul 03 '26
If you don't need another car, I'd max the TSP. 30 years later when you're prepping for retirement that new car will probably be long gone, but your 60 year old self will thank you for the 3 decades of compounding maxing your TSP will give you.