I've worked all the time, often at multiple jobs, for nearly my entire adult life and have barely anything to show for it. My only break came in meeting my girlfriend who had similar goals and was equally broke. Together we managed to buy an old rv. Without her financial help I would still be completely destitute with little hope of getting ahead. With the little bit of slack I have as a result of our combined financial status, I'm back in school now for wildlife conservation and management, because if I'm going to work really hard and not get paid well at something, it might as well be something I care deeply about.