I have been thinking about that more and more as I age. I have never been interested in getting rich, which meant I chose my career based on what I enjoy doing. This has turned out well, in the sense that I do what I enjoy and make a comfortable living. It is the same in my audio hobby. I don't envy those people who have enough money to buy whatever equipment they want. I envy those people who have the time to build up their skill and knowledge, and derive joy in experimenting with different approaches, especially DIY. In my case, it is a trade off between my profession and my hobby, and of course my family. But with the kids grown up, there are more options. It is true that those who don't have money trade their time to make money, whereas those with the money trade their money to have more free time.