I am willing to do a lot. I've been in my current job for about 2.5 years. They don't pay for training, going to to conferences, etc. They haven't paid for training of any sort of decades. And the state of software around here unfortunately shows it. But because of what I learned from my previous unemployment, I know that training is vital. So I pay for my own Pluralsight subscription. I also download Channel 9 videos, Microsoft Virtual Academy and any others I can get my hands onto. Because I have a long commute I download training courses onto my laptop and watch them there there. I've probably taken about 25 courses this way. Unfortunately, I have very little opportunity to use any of it here, due to most systems being so old. But I'm sure that some day I'll be able to use them.
Respect for the dedication and commitment, you have it right! Keep learning and striving, MVA is a good source imho. Sometimes it is possible to feel the road has turned into a dust track and the way is lost. How far would I go now? Think I need inspiration for that. NB no learning is wasted.