There is NO way you can make more money by "bumming" than on orders. Plus, like Scrapdog said, you won't have medical or dental.
It might be possible in a fiscal quarter to strategically take some orders and also utilize your pay days and surpass an active duty paycheck, but you will be going into the squadron nearly every day of the quarter and working your butt off.
Here's a quick breakdown of ways a reservist in a heavy unit can get paid. (as far as I've been able to find out)
TP's: Training periods. (called Teeps) You'll get 16 per quarter (three month period for you non math wizards). Each TP is good for four hours of work. Eight can be used for ground training (pubs check, CBT's) and the other eight have to be used for flying. They're worth about 180 each before taxes and other deductions to a new Captain. You can do two teeps in one day.
UTA's: Again, 16 per quarter. Can be used for ground or flying and are good for four hours of work. Max of two per day, and pay the same as a TP.
Annual Tour: Two weeks of "orders" per year. One day of annual tour is 1/30th of the monthly salary of an active duty paycheck. It's not exactly 1/30th of the pay because you'll get BAH type II. A "rip off" lower BAH rate since you are on orders for less than thirty days.
MPA Orders: These are like annual tour days, and are paid at 1/30th of the monthly salary per day. Again, if you're orders are cut for less than 30 days you'll get BAH type II and your pay will be less than what an active duty person would get for the same amount of work. MPA orders are subject to availabilty (i.e. if the Air Force needs a mission they'll subcontract the flying out to a Reserve unit and pay you in MPA orders.) I'm not familiar with how available these orders are in a non C17 unit, but they are pretty much unlimited here if you fly a "stage input" i.e., a mission supporting the GWOT. You only qualify for medical for your dependents if your orders surpass 30 days.
"Long Term Orders": You can go "Active duty" in a Reserve unit either voluntarily or involuntarily. Currently in our C17 world these orders are available in 3, 6, and 12 month increments for volunteers. The paycheck is exactly like the paycheck of a person on Active Duty. In a C17 Reserve unit currently you are expected to fly, as a minimum, one ten day trip per month while on long term orders.
By far, the most money you can make is by being on orders. You will most likely get what we call a cha-ching, or tax free/hostile fire pay each month if you enter Iraqi or Afghani airspace. It can be worth about 5-6 hundred for a 1LT or Capt. In addition to that, you can expect about 8-9 hundred per month in per diem from your "stage trip".
To maximize yearly pay, I try to go on three month orders in alternating increments so I can burn all my TP's and UTA's between time on orders. It's hard to say if I would make as much per number of days worked as if I was on 12 month orders when you factor in TF/HFP and perdiem.
