As a skilled developer how could I make enough money to leave my job?
I'm not interested in "passive" income, but in something to work hard for and be proud of.
Start planning do you want to start your own business or just get a better day job.
Start listening to this . . . http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/ Rob has had an amazing journey.
http://wpcurve.com/bootstrapped-drip-into-a-7-figure-saas-bu...
https://www.drip.co/blog/tips-and-tactics/drip-joining-force...
And I'll recommend my favorite talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDXJ6bMkMY
It's definitely hard and depending on your point in life it can be really hard to transition from day job to your own business.
single+young is easier than family+mortgage but either way you can do it.
I went from day job to consulting full time. I am working on products and a SaaS but it's definitely not easy. But it is enjoyable and the potential payoff is 10x your day job (most likely). Plus you control your own destiny for the most part, vs being an employee.
But work is work, if they pay you decently and it takes care of your needs plan your move carefully as you might not have it as bad as you think.
Maybe changing day jobs if a first step and start stair stepping with products/apps as another revenue stream.
Good luck.
It stands to reason you're not the only person in your situation, so as a skilled developer, why not build a portal to connect developers with people who want work doing? Maybe something like Freelancer but specific to your country?
edit: mind elaborating on your situation in your post? Where are you physically located? What are you looking for?
Depending on your skills I'd recommend seeing if somewhere like X-Team (or one of their sister companies, X-Five, XWP, etc) have any positions open.
He takes a systems approach over a goal approach. When you try to build a side project or startup, even if you fail, you should still have built a set of skills to help you in your next attempt.