alt Hacker NewsThat is a lot like saying that a college degree is financially straining or outright impossible. In many respects, developing open source is a lot less straining, as there are no large fees, with the main expenses being living expenses. This is why it's important to live far below one's means when one does have a job.
This take totally disregards very common family situations that are much less likely during college years: putting kids through school, health issues, caring for/supporting aging parents.
Remember not that not everyone is a coastal techie with loads of extra cash to put away.