You have relatives in Manhattan. Wow... That makes you an expert, no doubt.
Instead of basing your statements on what you know about a handful of people, try looking up some facts, they are easy to come by with this internet thingy.
Take it from somebody who has lived in the US.... They DON'T get as much time off as we do. When you start a new job, often you only get two weeks paid vacation a year. That's it. Your allowance goes up when you stay loyal to the company, but you have to be working for a looooooooooong time if you want to reach European levels.
I suggest you retract that knobjockey remark somewhat quickish. It does not improve on my mood. If you can not deal with people debunking some of your points, don't engage in a debate. It's really that simple.
Anyway, back on topic.
I also know about the cost of living in the UK, I have lived there too. It is indeed more expensive to be living in the UK compared to, for example, Holland, but not much more. The Dutch pay more taxes than the British do, but we have a slightly higher income on avarage, which more or less balances things out. Prices in the UK are only slightly higher than in Holland, particularly since we switched to the Euro.
Money isn't the real issue. Yeah, paintball isn't cheap, but it's also expensive in the US, even though it costs less than it costs here, but that applies to pretty much everything.
Since the arrival of things like Reball, the finances have really degraded to what they are: the weakest f*cking excuse there is.
With reball the cost of training is air for the day, and a sandwich in between training sessions.
It's all about HOW you practice. Russian Legion, as pointed out, have shown you the way, and Joy have followed that path. The results are self evident.