How do you survive without Golden Obligations?

I guess everyone agrees that Golden Obligations is a huge OP. Any game becomes much easier once it's unlocked.

So I just wanted to have a playthrough without using it a single time. Has anyone else tried this?

Of course, we also have 'Extort Subjects' or Ask Head of Faith for Gold, or raiding, and even chess.

But did anyone else try to rely entirely on their domain/vassal economy? How do you do this? Especially when you are relatively small.

For example, buildung Simple Pastures 🐂 costs 150 gold and it gives you 0.35 per month (1st level) or 4.2 per year! 150 / 4.2 = 35,7 years — so you basically need to wait for 36 years until this building is paid off and becomes profitable. Of course high Stewardship and Development can make these numbers a bit better. But in a basic scenario, a Hook of 50 gold can provide an immediate return equivalent to 12 years of income from those pastures! This is crazy.