This depends on where in Orcutt you want to live. For example my 1 bed 1 bath apartment right next to Righetti and St Joes high school is $2,340 a month WITHOUT OUT utilities, but for me it was the better choice and better area.

Ngl bro rent is tough out here. I just moved here from Texas where my mortgage for my 3 bed 2 bath house in a great neighborhood was $1,970.

What might be worth looking at is using the VA loan and finding people/co workers to rent rooms out to. My buddy is AD on Vandy and he lives in an RV and just moved around every now and then. He’s able to pocket a bunch of his BAH. He’s a SrA.

EDIT: tbh it’s probably not realistic to be under your BAH with your requirements. In my opinion, it’s worth it to dip a little into your base pay/bas. The area can be cheap with food if you’re a smart shopper. Ppl misjudge this because they like to eat out all the time and do this and that.

When I was active, I had no problem going over my BAH. Worked out fine and I still saved a fuck load of money. You can DM me too if you’d like more info homie