When you arrive, you are possibly going to be very busy, converting from your previous defence mentality and training to a new one. There are new digital systems, weapons, fleet, comms/call signs, processes and more to master. You will attend courses, likely in another state from where you’re based. There is annual mandatory online training, often done in your personal time. From the day you drive to the marksmanship range in February you won’t stop planning or executing training till the end of October. Manpower issues often mean you’re doing two jobs. Tasks and manning change last minute constantly.

For my first 2 years, I never made weekend plans with my family until Friday, I was still unsure if I would be working or on duty over Saturday and Sunday.

Please don’t over think all of that, it’s not doom and gloom, it’s a great learning curve and sets you up for your future in a well-paid force with excellent perks. Defence are just trying to get you useable ASAP. Your work-life balance will improve in time.

What I do hope you to take from it is, how little you will be using your Mercedes, brand new campervan, motorbike, jet ski or other depreciative asset in your first few years. 

A savvy spender talks with the people their finance plans or spending habits affect, work out what is sufficient to get to work, kids to school, get the shopping and mini break a few hours away using a bitumen highway and most importantly: Get value from. 

Note: Unless you’re an outback trucker, you’re not likely to drive on long red dirt roads to cattle ranches or mines. Even the roads to the National Park car parks are bitumen, roads have come a long way in the last decade. A 2WD SUV or small car is sufficient to get you most places.