It's two years in a row that I have to pay to keep my licenses current (ME-IR) and medicals. Total cost is already around $4,000 not including travel expenses from UAE to Europe, car rental and all other related expenses. What do I get in return? Just the honor of keeping valid licenses which are below current minimum requirements. Am I also "ruining" the standards by doing so? How can I justify to my family that I'm throwing money out of the windows while a wiser investment could not only keep me current but also give me an added value in terms of employment?