No offense to anyone, but that just does not seem like a lot...
Fullboat, that's because it ain't a lot. In my first years in the Sandpit on a basic FO's salary, we survived only because I didn't spend most of my allowances and cashed them in to cover the bills. (How boring is that?) From what I can see, the FOs of today, (or those with school aged children at least) are doing it tougher now than it was for my generation of FOs. If you're single, it's another matter altogether.