Go for it!
Hey Al,
I am a career changer. I wanted to be an airline pilot as far back as I can remember. I was discouraged from trying to fly professionally by several mentors, the long odds of gaining employment (especially in the early '80's when I was considering what to do), and physical shortcomings (need glasses to be 20/20, and have limited use of 2 fingers on 1 hand after motorboat accident).
Nevertheless, I found it impossible to be satisfied working 60 - 70 hours a week at a job I had no interest in and flying on the rare occasion I had sufficient free time and money. Flying which consisted of the same old hour or two in a worn out Cessna. My unhappiness eventually gave me the push I needed to jettison a comfortable job and give flying a shot. The absolutely best move I ever made. I was so freaking orgasmic to get the chance to fly with people I had always looked up to and aspired to emulate, even the fact I was flying for peanuts couldn't ruin it. As Jimmy Buffett says, "...expanding the view of the captain and crew like a man just released from indenture..".
Through outstanding good fortune, I made it to a major after only a few years at a regional. Yes the job has its drawbacks and nothing in life is perfect, but if you truly love to fly, there is nothing else that will make you happy. If you spend 95% of your waking hours at a job you dislike, then you are wasting your whole life being unhappy. If you are fortunate enough to have a calling at which you can actually (eventually) make a living, by all means give it a go. This is not a dress rehearsal, you only get one turn.
I think your plan of getting your financial house in order as best you can before you make the leap is a wise one. You very well may need the backup (I have used mine several times), and when the market is tanking, it is very comforting to know you have the ability to earn a living elsewhere.
I made the leap at the age of 34 though I had been flying since age 18 and had some experience hauling freight and flight instructing. You are young compared to that. I think you have some time to finish your job, but fly as much as you can and make the jump as soon as you can when the market looks favorable (you'd hate to miss the next hiring cycle and have to wait another 5 years for the next one).
Best of luck,
Jim