I have the same problems - money / age / opportunities. Most 'normal' investment decisions to spend GBP50,000 would be taken very seriously using at least a payback calculation or better still a Net Present Value (NPV) calculation to take the time value of money into account. This would show if you would ever make the investment worth while in terms of cash and lost opportunity costs.
However, wanting to be a commercial pilot goes beyond a 'normal' investment decision as it is based on your desire and wishes (and funds).
Put it this way if I won the lottery then I wouldn't hesitate to give up my job and convert my PPL(a) to get a CPL etc. and blow the GBP 50K. I'm 43 with family and mortgage to support so any decision to do this for me would be huge one and I would want more certainty that the industry would pick up - I think it inevitably will owing to travelling patterns and the cyclic nature of business.
