Gathering is actually not too bad. Make sure you have a combat class leveling around the same time or be prepared to grind FATES so you can get seals for the xp bonus books. Also, use guides to ensure efficiency on levequests vs straight grinding. I did 5-10 levels of gathering, then switched back to combat classes for a week. Rinse and repeat. The gil can be pretty good if you grind the right items for lower XP too, so there's always that as a motivator. Having said that, I find I'll buy most gatherable items on the AH even if I can get them myself, unless they are ridiculously over priced.