I'm really not arguing for any particular course of action but these options have real and potential time costs that need to be weighed against financial and mental load.
If you're using a VPN already, youtube won't block you for using an adblocker. At least, not if you don't use an account. I definitely spend less than a dollar a month in time spent keeping my adblocker working, I haven't fiddled with it in years...
I'm really not arguing for any particular course of action but these options have real and potential time costs that need to be weighed against financial and mental load.