That goes a bit alongside with my post last week. As Stu said, apart from skills it takes luck. I guess for a bachelor a 1000 quid's a month is enough. A cheap apartment and the rest is beer and some food. It becomes more difficult with a kid and even more so with a wife.
I'm almost done repaying my training loans – paying since mid 1999!
If your willing to take such large amounts of cash and convert it into a license to fly airplanes bare in mind that you might not find an employer to assure your living even if your a really thrifty guy/gall!