I started training in 1999 when I was 20. (just worked after High school.) Worked all week to fly one hour a week or less. Got my Private after much instructor attrition and miserable winters in 2001. Got a loan for Instrument and Commercial at the place with the professional instructor (but expensive new aircraft). Killed the loan and got commercial by fall 2003 at age 24.

Finally caved in an went to University, Spring 04-spring 08 as a commuting Adult student while still working (and as you can guess being paid ok by now.) Picked up Multi and CFII and started teaching my "Senior" year Fall 07 when the classes started getting sparse. At that point I dropped down to weekend work and Instructed during the week. My Tuition and Books were paid by family but the flying wasn't. Got hired by a bottom feeder with 500 or so hours and 25 multi two months before graduation '08 and went to ground training literally the Monday after my last day of school at 28 years old. (Instructed about 8 months.)

So overall I spent '99 - '08 getting to the point of being barely able to be hired by a crappy regional. So 9 years of dedicated study.

Cost was estimated with school and books and such at ~$200,000 partially thanks to the expensive 61 school with the good instructor, and partially due to the slow progress early on.

Left the job 6 months later, for LOTS of reasons. But mainly after almost 10 years, love simply became comfortable familiarity, it was just a part of my life and something I did well and wasn't hard to do, which wasn't enough to re-dedicate myself to an indeterminate duration in the bottom feeder lifestyle. Luckily the old job was still there for me, but it's not really a career.