Yep! That was just about the same thing I did. I got a reenlistment bonus and bought a home in Ewa Beach at the mouth of the entrance to Pearl Harbor. our belts
Food and gas really went thru the roof and we had to tighten our belts big time. We rode bikes to a boat landing and rode it to work on the other side of the harbor. Wife had an easy job most time and got off work quite often. I was quite the opposite. All to often, it was two or three days before I could go home........and this was shore duty! When I had spare time.....LOL!......I fished for food. We did eat quite well when I got to fish and sometimes I made money selling the fish. Both of us made rank and we could loosen the belts just a bit.
All I can say is keep your nose to the grindstone. It's worth it in the end. Kids will live if they don't have the newest and best. All that's important is feeding them, teaching them, letting them know they are loved and show them how to love by example. Nothing else really much matters in the big scope of life.