Couple joined the Air Force out of college—now they have nearly $500,000 saved, own a home and are on track to retire in their 40s

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

At just 30 and 27 years old, Quinn and Brittney Sturgis, a married couple serving in the Air Force, are on track to retire in their early 40s — if they choose to.

"We're not necessarily focused on trying to hit a certain number by a certain age to completely retire," says Quinn, an Air Force pilot. But financial independence "is a major goal of ours — to be able to not work if we don't have to."

Both officers are stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, earning just over $263,000 in combined salary and paid military benefits. Roughly a quarter of their income is automatically stashed in investment accounts.

By taking advantage of paid scholarships and training offered by the Air Force during college, as well as housing and food allowances and other military perks, they've built up $473,000 in savings. That, combined with a lifelong pension paying 40% of their salaries after 20 years of service, puts them on track for retirement in their early 40s.

"We're super grateful for the opportunity the military has given us," says Brittney, a Medical Service Corps officer who helps oversee a hospital of 2,500 personnel at the base. Unlike many college graduates, "we've been able to pursue a lot of different things without having to worry about debt," she says.

Of course, military service comes with trade-offs. "Sometimes your life is going to be dictated by things that are out of your control," Quinn says. One of those is frequent moves — commonly every three or four years — for new assignments.

So far, they've been able to stay in one place since having their 1-year-old son, Theo, which has made life easier as they adjust to parenthood.

But, "if we got orders to move, we'd be excited," Brittney says. "The opportunity to experience new places is one of the things we love most about this life."

The path to military service

Born in Agoura Hills, just outside Los Angeles, Quinn admits he lacked direction after high school. "I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life," he says.

Looking for a fresh start, he moved to Texas in 2012 to live with his uncle, a civilian pilot, who encouraged him to explore aviation. Taking his advice, Quinn visited a flight school and took his first flight with an instructor.

While working a part-time job at a fast food restaurant and attending community college, he joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, a program that prepares college students to become military officers. After a year and a half, in 2014, he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to complete his degree in economics while continuing his military training.

It was there that he met Brittney, a public health major who was also in the Air Force ROTC program, which requires at least four years of service after graduating. Born and raised in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Brittney grew up in a military family — her parents are Army reservists and her grandfather, a Filipino immigrant, earned his U.S. citizenship through service in the Navy.

A self-described "nerd," Brittney excelled in both academics and athletics in high school, earning a spot in the National Honor Society while "getting familiar with the military lifestyle" through Junior ROTC.

Brittney and Quinn bonded through ROTC in college and married in 2019, after graduating and commissioning as officers.

The perks of military life

For Quinn and Brittney, the Air Force provides stability and financial support that allows them to focus on their demanding careers and growing family.

One huge benefit is that they each receive untaxed housing and food allowances, which significantly help with household expenses. In fact, about a third of Quinn and Brittney's gross income comes from these benefits.

Their combined housing allowances — adjusted based on location — total $6,732 per month, easily covering the $4,220 mortgage payment for their three-bedroom home, purchased with no money down using a Veterans Affairs loan for around $620,000 in 2022.

They also receive $317 each per month for food, and Quinn earns an additional taxable $700 per month in pilot pay, an incentive for the demands of aviation training and operations.

Both receive full health-care benefits, which proved to be vital in 2021, when Brittney was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. "I never thought I'd face something like this so young," she says.

The Air Force's health-care system covered all her treatment — from surgery to radiation — allowing her to focus on recovery. Today, she is healthy and continues to receive ongoing care as needed.

Education is another benefit they've maximized through the Air Force's tuition assistance program. It covered much of their college costs, and earlier this year, both Brittney and Quinn earned master's degrees — hers in public health and his in business administration — while studying part-time.

Child care is another major perk. Theo attends the on-base daycare, which costs just under $1,000 per month. Comparable daycare in the area can cost "upwards of $2,000" per month, says Quinn. Plus, having Theo on-base "makes balancing work and family so much easier," says Brittney.

How they spend their money

Here's how Quinn and Brittney spent their money in October 2024.

• Savings and investments: $5,854 toward retirement accounts and a 529 college savings plan for Theo
• Housing and utilities: $4,521 includes their mortgage, property taxes, Wi-Fi, water, electricity, gas and trash service
• Discretionary: $2,620 on charitable donations, clothes, pet supplies, household items and a new vacuum
• Travel: $2,371 on trips to Disneyland and Alaska
• Food: $2,217 on groceries and dining out
• Transportation: $1,668 for car payments
• Child care: $971 on daycare for Theo
• Insurance: $373 for auto, home and life insurance
• Subscriptions and memberships: $178 on car washes, cloud storage, wine subscriptions, Roku, Spotify, Disney+, YouTube Premium and Amazon Prime
• Phones: $104

When it comes to savings, "we always pay ourselves first," says Quinn. Nearly $6,000 is automatically contributed to various retirement accounts each month.

This includes about $700 into each of their respective Thrift Savings Plans, the military's version of a 401(k). The Air Force matches up to 5% of their base pay under the military's Blended Retirement System, providing an additional boost to their savings.

The rest of their contributions are split between individual Roth IRA accounts, a taxable brokerage account and a 529 college savings plan. As of October 2024, they had accumulated just over $473,000 in retirement savings.

Quinn and Brittney use 15 credit cards to maximize rewards points and travel discounts, but pay off their balances in full every month. As members of the military, they have benefited from perks like waived annual fees for premium cards, allowing them to enjoy travel benefits and other rewards at no additional cost.

While achieving financial independence is a goal, the couple is OK with "spending extravagantly on the things you love — as long as you cut costs on the things you don't," says Quinn. For them, that means splurging on experiences like Michelin-starred meals or trips to Disneyland with Theo.

Looking ahead

Quinn and Brittney view financial independence as a way to create flexibility for whatever they want to do later in life.

For Quinn, the path ahead could include transitioning to a civilian aviation career. "Flying for a commercial airline is a very common path for military pilots," he says. While it could be lucrative, he values the freedom to step away if it doesn't work for his family.

Brittney could see herself pursuing non-profit work in the public health sector. "Being done with the military doesn't mean stopping work entirely," she says. "It's about finding something fulfilling without the financial pressure to earn."

Ultimately, they want to keep their options open. By saving and investing now, Quinn and Brittney are setting themselves up for the freedom to choose what comes next — whether that's continuing to serve, trying out new careers or traveling with Theo.

What's your budget breakdown? Share your story with us for a chance to be featured in a future installment.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC's online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.