If I can piggy back another question
Because we pay for uniforms and haircuts how much of that money makes it into our bank accounts?
Well, it's direct deposit, so all the money will make it into your bank account. The question is how much you will have to pay back out.
You get a uniform allowance of ~$1700 that gets deposited around your 2nd or 3rd paycheck. Uniforms will cost $2200-2500, depending on how much stuff you have to repurchase and whether or not you opt for Brooks Bros. dress uniforms, and the bill is due at the end of OCS. Getting a star card will save you 10% on that bill. I got another ~$700 uniform allowance following my graduation; I
think this is universal, but not sure.
You get E-5 pay while at OCS. If you are BDCP, you will also collect BAH. If you are NUPOC, you will get E-6 pay + BAH. BAS is there, but it's taken right out for chow hall dues.
The $20 you give when you go there covers haircuts. Later on (as in like week 7-8+), you'll most likely get haircuts at the NEX for $5, so that's not really an expensive component.
Don't be stupid like some classes that spend a ton of money on hi-mom's and other superfluous crap. After a $60/head dining out at the Mariott for shitty food (we didn't choose that location), we decided to go cheap on all the other stuff. Those who kept up with their class dues got back about $350 out of about $600 paid ($50/wk for 12 wks). The DIs may have been a little peeved that we didn't buy them all a free night of drinking, but the people who had families to feed definitely appreciated it. This is one area where our class was actually level-headed.
Class shirts will cost you another $160-220, depending on how many sets you get. One set is mandatory, and you will wear it as your PT gear for 3 weeks. I got 2 because I didn't want to revert back to wearing the same PT gear for 6 days straight like pre-RLP. The class prior to mine decided to get sweatpants/shorts as well; I highly suggest you try talking people out of this if they ever bring it up.
I thought (read: knew) that the photographs were a ripoff, but my mom wanted a portrait so I bought one anyway. In hindsight, I would suggest holding off and just seeking a separate photographer for cheaper. It's not too difficult to setup an appointment with a portrait photographer, put on your chokers/blues, take a few snaps, and have a photographer photoshop a flag behind you. Your family will have the opportunity to take photographs during your first salute/when the class lines up for a photo (and you'll love standing at parade rest for what seems like forever while they do it). It won't be pro, but to me it wasn't worth the extra $60 to have almost the same photograph.
Aside from that, the people who spend a ton of money at OCS are the ones who go out every night on liberty and drop a ton of money making up for lost drinking time, people who decide to sleep at a hotel on overnight liberty just 'cuz, and people who like to eat out at every possible moment. This only is in effect for 2-4 weeks max, but you'd be surprised how much money you can go through by binging on all the crap you've been deprived of for 8-10 weeks, especially in ritzy Newport, RI.