@Daojoan So, if we are cynical about it, the choice is roughly between a bullshit job, constant worry about money, or these mostly immoral schemes you describe so well.

@Daojoan I think this is part of a larger picture. The central issue seems to be that it is not easy to find work that 1) is meaningful/valuable, 2) pays the bills, 3) one does not hate performing and 4) one is able to do.

My own opinion, and I may be wrong, is that we have constructed our societies and education systems to provide people with skills that are mostly valuable for someone else, i.e. they do not provide autonomy for an individual.