All situations are different. Here is mine: My wife is a professional runner. She works out a lot. She has made between $300 and $6500 per year doing this over the last 7 years, but the cost to our family has been very great in her time. Given the investment for gym memberships, "fuel", coaching, gear, race entries and travel, etc. she has probably lost money on her profession every year except the one she had a sponsor. She is trying to start a house-cleaning business. She is selling cosmetics. She could easily become a professional trainer at a gym and make $40k plus. But she doesn't want to. Yes, it is a huge increase in the time she has to work. I don't want to try to make decisions for her. But the word you used, advina, 'subsidizing' is poignant to me in this situation. I happily subsidized her racing for years. I supported her and was proud of her. But then she fell in love with another runner and is now leaving me. I am sore about this.
