125,000 gil, and looking towards Alchemy

After liquidating Pompidou's equipment, and doing the Drain, Warp, and Aspir quests, I've come into some money. In fact, it's the first time I've seen a six digit figure in my wallet. I don't want to blow the money on equipment and spells, and be right back in the same farming rut that's been holding me back till now. White mages don't farm well. I have the chance to really get a craft going, and after it's all done, make some real gil. I was debating culinary or alchemy, but I decided the ability to cure my own silence as a whm would be invaluable. Also, while I've never seen it done, I thought that homemade ethers could help me get my party to the end of an exp chain without running out of mp. Anyway...

How expensive is alchemy to raise in comparison to the rest? We all know that goldsmithing is far and away the most expensive craft to level. Cooking is typically considered relatively inexpensive. Cooking is also one of the quickest guilds to reach a point where any profit can be made what-so-ever. Is alchemy towards the goldsmithing end of the spectrum, or the cooking?

Also, how far will my 125,000 gil get me? Will I at least get alchemy to the point where I can make money at a reasonable rate? It'd be great to be able to hit 60 at least. Any thoughts?

Alchemy starts out as a marginally expensive guild, its not too bad. But can compare up to Smithing(not gold XD) during the lvl 60+ stages. The items that you make are generally, not for personal use, Cooking is better at that. Alchemy to make items is cheaper but also expensive to use in normal exp parties, the reason why anyone would use items is either they are questing, fighting special boss battles, or traveling to an exp area. Silent Oils and Prism Powders for example are what melee need to use to get through things mages can cast in 4-5 seconds. Making stronger gear is another, and also potions and status cure medicines are usually for the special boss battle and of course, the infamous Maat battle(especially mage ones with Echo Drops). The good recipies are high lvled, and requires good investment..i think its possible to hit...maybe 40 if you do it right..i am not too sure. My brother dabbles in Alchemy and is always getting poor because he did not know what was the best recipies to skill up in.

Lv0-6
Tsurara
Ice crystal
Rock salt
Distilled water x2

lvl7-10
Deodorizer(not 100% sure if I got the right recipe)
Wind Crystal
Chammomile
Olive oil
Sage

or alternatively

lvl7-11
Poison dust
lightning crystal
yellow globe x 2

lv11-14
Mercury
lightning crystal
cobalt jelly x 4

Just some of the ones that i think from my brother's experience, is a good wayt o lvl off the first 15 so lvls. I think the best way to look at an Alchemist, is a Pharmacist, and a Transmutator for those that watch the anime Full Metal Alchemist...as you might know they take something, and use it to transform it into something else from that material, and since SE sponsors that anime its exactly what Alchemist can do on certain weapons. Like Bee Spatha.

Cooking is so common. That's what's turning me off from it. I thought Chef Pompidou had a nice ring to it. However, I don't want to compete with the other 2,000 players flooding the AH with insect paste and mithkabobs. I remember when I needed prism powder as a pre"Invisible" whm, there were never any available. Further, it'd save me a bunch of time and hassle to simply whip someone up a sneak and invisibility set rather than suffer the aggravation of "escort" errands for every last newbie trying to do some quest out of his/her league - what, with the sneak and invis spells always wearing off 3 seconds after casting. I'd gladly give a friend all the powders s/he needs if it meant my not dying in Davoi for a would-be paladin w/o a map. I think, cost or not, alchemy will be what I need. It'll be nice for my linkshell too, as we already have a representative of the other guilds minus goldsmith and alchemy at the moment, and I'm not going to bother with gold because the amount of money it takes to level it is enough money to completely outfit my chr in luxury/+1 gear from levels 1-75. After that, gil is pretty pointless. What's the point of gil if not to support your leveling? A full wallet never stopped that goblin's dagger.