What will you prefer in this economy to maintain a balance.
To be always busy working, be paid well for needs and wants, but no time for family and other things. Or not always busy, moderately paid enough for needs alone and enough time for family and other activities?
I would never sacrifice my free time for more money. Right now, I have enough money(to cover my needs, I'm not rich) and lots of free time.
The best option would be to build a business, outsource all hard work and scale that business, but I'm not a businessman. I'm just a freelancer and a small investor. I would never join the rat race and work 12-15 hours a day for more money. You can't maintain a balance by working more. This would more likely cause a disbalance, rather than a balance. I don't want to waste my health and get stressed out for the sake of having to spend more for my own healthcare in the future.