Actually that's not a bad formula.

The problem with professional aviation (especially at regionals) is that it can no longer reliably be viewed as a career and a means of providing primary income.

If you understand that and accept the reality, you can view your aviation job as a component of a non-traditional lifestyle. You accept certain tradeoffs for certain benefits not available to 9-5 types. You just need a financial and retirement plan that makes sense. Not sure I'd rely entirely on the sugar-moma though...people do get AIDS.

But if you are a regional FO just sitting back and waiting for the money to roll in, you are probably in for a rude awakening someday.