It doesn't have to be material. Virtual goods are still goods. But a new Nikon is sweet! :)
I am like you - I started out with nothing but made connections and invested and here I am, almost a dolphin riding a generous delegation. The difference is - I dumped my fiat jobs as steemit and steem-related projects simply pay more.
Ooooh! I'm too much of a pussy to quit my fiat-paying job, but cryptos definitely help complementing the family budget ;)
As a freelancer it was an easy decision. If clients pay me 200 USD for an article and steemit pays up to 600 USD, it's quite obvious which I should be dedicating my attention to.
Sure, the motivation is waaaay bigger. The downside for me, in Greece at least, is that we need fiat jobs for social security and tax paying. Crypto-legislation is a bit obscure...
I have an accountant managing my stuff so I just ask her what to do. But yeah, crypto-legislation in Israel is just as obscure.