Veterans lawyer, a primer
Try to eliminate all spending that is not mandatory. Even if you can pay for those things now, you need to have a financial cushion should your claim take a year or two. Put any money you save by cutting discretionary spending aside to help you through the time it may take to reach a decision about your social security disability claim. Mandatory expenditures can sometimes be adjusted to allow flexibility during the waiting period. Some utility companies, for example, offer low income energy assistance programs.